Your views on Palliative, End of Life Care and Bereavement Support in Sussex
Results updated 17 Aug 2026
In January and February 2026, we asked staff and volunteers across Sussex working in health, care and support, to share their views on palliative and end of life care, and bereavement support in the County.
The survey asked:
- what’s working well,
- what challenges the workforce faces,
- if there are any unmet needs, and
- what improvements could be made.
You Said
226 staff and volunteers from different organisations across Sussex responded, including:
- Hospices, hospitals, and primary care
- Community services
- Social care, and care homes
- Pharmacies
- Voluntary and community organisations
What’s working well
You said compassionate staff, strong multi-disciplinary working, specialist palliative care services and hospices are key strengths within the current system.
Challenges and areas for improvement
Significant challenges include:
- workforce pressures,
- training needs,
- variation in service availability, and
- gaps in access to care and bereavement support.
There were also concerns about inequalities in access to services for some population groups. You commented that improvements to coordination, communication, information sharing, and support for carers and families was needed.
We Did
We analysed all responses to identify themes and incorporated the findings into the Sussex Palliative and End of Life Care, and Bereavement Support Needs Assessment.
This included:
- directly informing the development of recommendations within the needs assessment, and
- helping to shape priorities for service improvement, workforce development, partnership working and equal access to care and support.
The final needs assessment will be published on the East Sussex Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) website, where you can see a full report of the findings and recommendations.
Thank you to everyone who took part. Your feedback has made an important contribution to understanding and improving palliative, end of life care and bereavement support across Sussex.
Overview
This survey is for health, care and support staff and volunteers working in roles and organisations providing Palliative and End of Life Care, including Bereavement support, across Sussex.
Roles may include medical consultants working in hospitals and hospices, nurses in hospices or nursing homes, care staff in people’s homes and care homes, and volunteers working in charities.
Why your view matters
Death and dying are inevitable. Being able to live as well as possible until we die is something that we all value. Therefore the needs of people of all ages who are living with dying, death and bereavement, their families, carers and communities, must be addressed. This includes taking into account their priorities, preferences and wishes.
Personalised care in the last years and months of life will result in a better experience, tailored around what really matters to the person, and more sustainable health and care services.
Definitions of Palliative Care, End of Life Care, and Bereavement Support
Palliative Care
Defined by the World Health Organisation as an approach that improves the quality of life of patients (adults and children) and their families who are facing problems associated with life-limiting illness, usually progressive.
It prevents and relieves suffering through the early identification, correct assessment and treatment of pain and other problems whether physical, psychosocial or spiritual.
End of Life Care
In England, the term ‘end of life care’ refers to the last year of life. It involves supporting for people who are in the last months or years of their life.
Bereavement Support
Care, assistance, and guidance provided to individuals who are grieving the death of someone important to them, with the aim of helping them cope with the emotional, psychological, and practical impacts of grief and loss
What happens next
Your views will complement existing data sets from the Sussex All Age Palliative and End of Life Care, and Bereavement Support Needs Assessment. This will be published on the JSNA website in summer 2026.
Taking part
This survey can be completed by individuals, teams, or organisations. You are free to skip any questions that aren't relevant to your role, setting or experience, or that you don't want to answer.
The survey takes up to 10 minutes to complete. You can use the ‘Save and come back later…’ button at the end of each page if you don’t want to complete the survey all in one go.
Privacy information: This survey is anonymous and we don't ask you to provide any personal information. Please ensure that any comments you make don't include any names or personal details of you or anyone else. You can find our privacy notice about how the data will be stored and processed by East Sussex County Council on our website.
Areas
- All Areas
Audiences
- Residents of East Sussex
Interests
- Care and support services (adults)