Bridging the Gap Between Muslims and Children’s Hospice Services

Historically British Muslims have not tended to use hospice services. Bridging the Gap: Strengthening relations between hospices and Muslims of Britain looked at the top five local authorities in the UK where there is a significant Muslim population (over 40%). It identifies the lack of data on religion and ethnicity as a key barrier in planning and monitoring services for people in Muslim communities, including both ageing Muslims and children with life-shortening conditions.

Hospices and NHS services must capture data about religion and ethnicity much more consistently from people using their services – as glaring gaps in this data are preventing effective planning of palliative and hospice services for Muslim patients and their families. Similarly, local authorities should record this data for people who have died, as part of the death registration process, to help monitor patterns in end of life care provision.