Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council

70% of people in the UK express a desire to die in their own home. However, less than 25% are able to fulfil this wish. The person often does not feel capable of navigating this most important journey; and informal carers rarely have any previous or relevant experience. This topic is surrounded in anxiety, poor communications and inadequate information.

In 2011 NICE estimated that in England a 10% reduction in the number of hospital admissions ending in death could potentially result in a saving of £52m per year.

We would like to explore, with other Local Authorities in the Yorkshire and Humber region, how digital applications may be able to help people and their carers to self-manage their palliative care and have the confidence to fulfil their wish to die at home.

Digital technology has the potential to bring all the clinical and social care tools together in one, easy-to-use resource, highly personalised to the person’s individual needs.

The success of the discovery phase would be evaluated by empirical evidence and anecdotal user feedback into whether a digital app has the potential to help people to fulfil their palliative care journey in their own home and the potential savings available.