Supporting Patients in Life’s Final Chapter

Supporting Patients in Life’s Final Chapter: How Willows Health Delivers Compassionate, Community-Based End-of-Life Care

At Willows Health, we believe that every stage of life—including the final one—deserves dignity, compassion, and thoughtful care. Our recent analysis of all patient deaths between 2023 and early 2025 highlights the real impact of our work in supporting patients and families through end-of-life care. More than just statistics, these findings reflect our values in action—compassion, innovation, sustainability, and growth—and our deep commitment to serving our community well.

What We Learned: Overview of Mortality at Willows Health

We reviewed 624 patient deaths across our practices, focusing on the cause of death, place of death, and whether a personalised care plan was in place. Here are the most important things we found:

• Most patients passed away peacefully in the community, with only 1 in 4 dying in hospital—a significantly lower rate than the national average (43%).
• Nearly 7 in 10 patients had a care plan, allowing their final days to reflect their wishes and needs.
• The majority of deaths (75%) were expected, meaning that families and care teams were prepared and supported.
• Top causes of death were age-related conditions such as dementia, frailty, heart disease, cancer, and respiratory illness—reflecting an aging population with complex health needs.

A Place to Die with Dignity: Home and Care Homes

We’re proud that more than two-thirds of our patients were able to pass away at home or in care homes, often surrounded by loved ones and in a familiar setting. This is higher than the national average and represents a major achievement in delivering care aligned with patient wishes.

• 39% of patients died in care homes
• 29% at home
• Just 25% died in hospital

This reflects excellent coordination between our teams, district nurses, and community palliative care services.

Care Plans: Thoughtful, Proactive Planning for a Peaceful End

Having a care plan makes all the difference. It means patients and families have had time to talk, to decide what matters most, and to receive the right support at the right time. In our audit:

• 70% of patients had an end-of-life care plan
• Most of these deaths were anticipated and well-managed
• Patients without plans typically experienced unexpected events such as sudden cardiac arrest or accidents

By supporting early discussions and encouraging the use of tools like the ReSPECT form, we help patients shape their own end-of-life journey.

Tackling Health Inequality: Reducing Early Deaths

We also noticed that 31% of deaths occurred before age 75, often due to cancer or heart disease. This reflects the challenges of working in Leicester, where deprivation and health inequality shorten life expectancy. We’re taking action through:

• Proactive prevention work, including smoking cessation, screening programmes, and chronic disease support
• Community outreach tailored to our diverse population
• Ongoing partnerships with public health teams to tackle avoidable deaths

A Compassionate Review of Every Death

Every single death at Willows Health is reviewed by a multidisciplinary team. We ask:

• Did the patient receive the care they deserved?
• Were their preferences respected?
• Could anything have been done differently?

These reviews guide how we train staff, improve services, and respond compassionately to feedback. We are also now working closely with the Medical Examiner (ME) system, which provides an additional layer of quality assurance, ensuring accuracy and transparency in death certification.

A Benchmark of Excellence

Compared to national figures, Willows Health is leading the way in:

• Enabling people to die in their preferred place
• Using care planning to deliver personal, compassionate care
• Engaging with community teams to reduce unnecessary hospitalisation
• Committing to high-quality death certification with Medical Examiner oversight

We are proud to demonstrate not just adherence to NHS guidelines, but leadership in delivering dignified, patient-centred end-of-life care.

Every Death Is a Lesson in Living Well

Behind every number is a person, a family, a story. At Willows Health, we never lose sight of that. Our mortality audit helps us learn from every life lost—to improve, to grow, and to offer the kind of care we would want for our own loved ones.
We remain committed to:

• Reducing health inequalities
• Planning proactively for end-of-life care
• Supporting families with compassion
• Investing in community-based, sustainable care models

If you or a loved one would like to talk about planning for the future, our team is here to help—with empathy, honesty, and care.