The Unique Case of Milton Keynes and its Hospice Provision
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Unique Case of Milton Keynes and its Hospice Provision: Perspectives of a Community
IRAS ID
231998
Contact name
Zana Saunders
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The Open University
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 30 days
Research summary
Milton Keynes is a unique new city which has grown rapidly into a thriving population of over 250,000 in 50 years. Despite values in equitable care, all hospices including Milton Keynes fail to reach all sections of their local communities; with statistics and research confirming lower uptake from the black and minority ethnic population, homeless, incarcerated, lower socio-economic groups and people with terminal conditions other than cancer. This is a national concern as population growth and diagnostic improvements cause an increased demand for end of life care. Milton Keynes hospice has an unusually high uptake of its inpatient services i.e. people choosing to die at the hospice, compared to other hospices in the UK, but has similar difficulties of inclusivity.
This research will investigate these issues by focusing on this hospice in an in-depth qualitative case study of local people’s perspectives. These people will include patients at the hospice, patients at the local hospital, professionals working within and outside of the hospice, including the hospital, prison service, local charities, care homes and GP surgeries. The research will ask how do people define hospice; who is it for; what do hospices do? Using this case study approach will enable multiple sources of data to be collated, and using thematic analysis to generate hypotheses. The results will get to the heart of the perceived identity of Willen Hospice, which may be markedly different from a professional, legal or nationally held definition. It may elucidate why this hospice is preferred over dying at home locally, and why like other hospices, why there are also issues of inclusion and diversity.
REC name
London - Stanmore Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/0525
Date of REC Opinion
19 Apr 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion