If you’re preparing to leave this mortal coil and are searching for the best possible end-of-life care, you might want to head for Great Britain or Northern Ireland, as a recent study has found that the UK is the home to the best hospice services on Earth.
According to BBC News and The Guardian, researchers from the Economist Intelligence Unit measured palliative care in 80 countries throughout the world and found that the UK topped the list, earning a score of 93.9 out of 100 in the EIU’s 2015 Quality of Death Index.
The UK earned points for its “comprehensive national policies,” which included “the extensive integration of palliative care into the National Health Service, a strong hospice movement, and deep community engagement on the issue,” the EIU said. The UK also topped the 2010 Quality of Death Index, which is based on research and interviews with over 120 experts in the field.
“A very strong marker in our index is the availability of specialized palliative care workers and this is where the UK scores particularly well,” the EIU’s Annie Pannelay told The Guardian on Tuesday. “The UK has a long history of providing treatment in palliative care.”
Who ranked the worst?
Australia was second with a score of 91.6, followed by New Zealand with a score of 87.6 and Ireland with a score of 85.8. Belgium (84.5), Taiwan (83.1), Germany (82.0), the Netherlands (80.9), the US (80.8), and France (79.4) rounded out the top 10. Iraq (12.5), Bangladesh (14.1), and the Philippines (15.3) ranked lowest in terms of end-of-life care.
While wealthier countries tended to perform the best, the EIU report did recognize some of the progress made in poorer countries, according to BBC News. For example, 28th-ranked Mongolia was lauded for investing in hospice facilities, while 35th-ranked Uganda was praised for offering improved access to opioid painkillers through a public-private partnership.
“Since the first Quality of Death Index was published this issue has certainly risen up the global agenda, as shown by the World Health Assembly resolution last year calling for improved standards of palliative care across the world,” EIU managing editor David Line said in statement. “But much more can be done, even in countries that rank highly in the Index. It is an issue that will affect us all – a good quality of death should be regarded as a human right.”
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Feature Image: Thinkstock
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