SAIL Databank News. Published 13/10/2025
A major new study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe provides crucial insights into how people in Wales use health and care services in the last year of life.
The research was led by a multidisciplinary team from Population Data Science, Swansea University, in collaboration with Cardiff University, Bristol University, and the Welsh National Clinical Programme for Palliative & End of Life Care. The study brought together expertise in palliative care, population health, and data science, relying on the rich linked data available through the SAIL Databank to deliver a comprehensive, population-wide analysis.
Using anonymised, linked health and administrative data, the research team explored hospital admissions, care home stays (with and without nursing), and community-based care. They also examined how these patterns differed for individuals registered for palliative care. The analysis included data for more than 267,000 individuals in Wales who died of non-sudden causes between 2014 and 2023, modelling over 1.8 million transitions between health and care settings.
Key Findings:
- Demand for urgent care increased rapidly towards the end-of-life.
- The majority of time in the last year of life was spent at home.
- 90% of emergency hospital admissions came from people’s own homes.
- Individuals on the palliative care register had an increased rate of urgent hospital admissions but decreased expected length of stay.
The study concluded that more targeted approaches are needed to efficiently identify individuals who would benefit from palliative care, ensuring that appropriate support can be provided at home whenever possible. Strengthening home-based care and early identification can help meet people’s preferences for end-of-life care while making more effective use of health and care resources.
Professor Rhiannon K Owen noted:
“This work enabling a system-wide evaluation for the population of Wales was only made possible by linkage of anonymous health and administrative data facilitated by the SAIL Databank. Our findings provide a vital evidence-base to support ministerial policy and decision-making to design a more efficient, compassionate, and equitable end-of-life care in Wales.”
The study was funded by Health and Care Research Wales and the Health and Care Research Wales Evidence Centre.
The research provides a vital evidence base to guide future planning and policy, helping Wales deliver more equitable and person-centred end-of-life care.
Read the full paper here.