Specialist palliative care can save the NHS up to £8,000 per person and improves quality of life
14th April 2026
A new study published in March by researchers at the National Institute for Health and Research (NIHR) Policy Research Unit in Palliative and end of life care, considered two modes of care: for those living at home and for those in acute hospital settings.
By combining the best available evidence from other research and government statistics, researchers estimated the cost savings from reducing unplanned hospital care. Quality of life was measured by assessing five dimensions of patient health: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain and anxiety or depression.
Specialist palliative care refers to care for those with more complex needs at the end of their life whose care cannot be delivered by a primary or core healthcare team. It requires a workforce with specialist skills who are experienced in delivering palliative care as their main role.
In 2022 in England, specialist palliative care supported over 20,000 people to die outside of hospital which saved approximately 1.5m hospital bed days and reduced healthcare expenditures by £817m.
Many people are missing out on receiving quality palliative care – if any at all – and there are growing needs for increased palliative care from hospices, community teams and in hospitals. This new study shows the value and cost-effectiveness of specialist palliative care at helping to solve key system problems in the NHS.
Peter May, Senior Lecturer in Health Economics at the Cicely Saunders Institute and lead author on the paper said: “Previous studies showed that specialist palliative care supports people with serious illness to be at home. This is the first study to estimate the economic impact for England.
About half of people who might benefit from specialist palliative care receive it, and this is highly cost-effective for both patients and the NHS. We must now turn our attention to understanding how and why people who might benefit do not yet receive palliative care.”
Professor Fliss Murtagh at Hull York Medical School, University of Hull said: “Many people may be reluctant to ask for palliative care, believing that it might accelerate their decline or impose additional pressure on the health service. The reverse is true. This study shows good quality care in appropriate settings can improve their quality of life, lessen symptoms and other concerns, and reduce NHS pressures – everyone with serious medical illness should be asking for it.”
May P, Nikram E, Murtagh FEM. Specialist palliative care improves patient experience, reduces bed days and saves money: An economic modelling study of home- and hospital-based care. Palliative Medicine. Published online 4 March 2026. doi 10.1177/0269216326142375