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J R Soc Med 2006;99:637-639
doi:10.1258/jrsm.99.12.637
© 2006 Royal Society of Medicine

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J R Soc Med 2006;99:637-639
© 2006 The Royal Society of Medicine

Psychological services in hospices in the UK and Republic of Ireland

A Price1 M Hotopf1 I J Higginson2 B Monroe3   M Henderson1

1 Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Psychological Medicine, Kings College London, Weston Education Centre, Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RJ, UK
2 Department of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, Kings College London, Weston Education Centre, Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RJ, UK
3 St Christopher's Hospice, Lawrie Park Road, Sydenham, London SE26 6DZ, UK

Correspondence to: Dr Max Henderson E-mail: m.henderson{at}iop.kcl.ac.uk

Objective To evaluate the level of psychological services available to patients and staff in hospices.

Design Questionnaire analysis.

Setting Hospices in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Participants 224 hospices.

Main outcome measures The availability of professional psychological support for those with advanced disease.

Results Responses were received from 166 hospices (74%). Only 50 hospices (30%) have access to a psychiatrist, whilst 68 (41%) have access to a clinical psychologist and 92 (45%) have neither. Only 21 hospices (12%) have service level agreements with local mental health trusts. Counsellors, complementary therapists and spiritual advisors such as chaplains were more plentiful.

Conclusions Delivery of the NICE guidelines, especially tier four, may be compromised by limited availability of specialist services. This has implications for the psychological assessment of applicants for voluntary euthanasia under an Assisted Dying Act.


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