'Too many terminal cancer patients dying in hospital against wishes'

The number of terminal cancer patients who die in hospital rather than at home is placing "unnecessary strain" on the NHS, a charity has warned.

Macmillan Cancer Support said too many patients were dying in hospital against their wishes because of a lack of social care.

The charity has called for more action to ensure end-of-life social care plans for patients.

The charity released figures that showed one in seven terminal cancer patients (17%) in England did not receive any professional care at home.

Three quarters (75%) of patients who were not provided with care services at home died in hospital, while just 7% died in their own household.

This is compared to 44% of patients who were able to spend their final days in their own property after receiving professional care at home, and 29% who died in hospital.

Previous research by the charity said that three in four people living with cancer would prefer to die at home, but just 30% were able to do so.

Macmillan said the situation is placing "unnecessary strain on an under-pressure NHS".

Colette Jelfs, 35, from Rugby, whose husband Andy died of adrenal cancer in 2012, said: "Andy wanted to be at home with me and the children, but we'd had no support from carers up to then and I just didn't see how I would cope emotionally or physically.

"No one was explaining how they'd make it possible. He died four days later in hospital."

The Department for Health said it was currently reviewing how to improve the quality of care at the end of life.

"We want to make sure that people nearing the end of their lives can choose where to spend their last days and have more of a say on how they are cared for," a spokesman said.