POS-2026-3017 : Descriptive evaluation of palliative care identification in general practice in England using routinely recorded SNOMED CT–coded data from GP practices linked to secondary care data

This project looks at whether people who needed palliative care — support focused on comfort and quality of life for those living with serious illness — had this recognised and recorded in their general practice record before they died. It uses information that is already recorded during routine care in general practice and hospitals, as well as national records of registered deaths.

The aim is to describe how often palliative care needs are identified, which groups of people are less likely to have their needs recognised, and whether there are differences across areas of England. The work does not involve any changes to patient care, does not involve contacting patients, and does not test or compare treatments. It simply describes patterns in how palliative care needs are recorded in everyday practice.

The study will use secure systems that allow analysis of general practice and hospital records without researchers seeing information that identifies individual patients. Only overall results, such as totals and percentages for groups of patients, will be produced and shared. Strict checks will be applied to make sure that no individual can be identified from the results.

By producing clear and consistent information on the identification of palliative care needs, the project will help the National Health Service and local health organisations understand which groups of people may be missing out on the care and support they need. The results can be used to support learning and planning within the health system, helping services provide more consistent and equitable access to palliative care across the population.