Strengthening palliative care in today's challenges

It continues to be documented how the COVID-19 pandemic is transforming the way we live and die in this country and around the world (Arya et al, 2020; Powell et al, 2020). Like the 9/11 terrorist attacks in America changed the way we fly and are processed through airport security, the COVID-19 pandemic is destined to change the way we live, die and provide end-of-life nursing care, in particular, for years to come. Health professionals have already started to introduce different ways of teaching and providing palliative care with COVID-19 in mind, so that patient experience and quality of care does not suffer. The pandemic has also highlighted disparities in the risk of COVID-19 among people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, with the UK witnessing a disproportionate number of deaths among BAME workers within the NHS (Public Health England (PHE), 2020) since the pandemic started. Sadly, the report by PHE fails to fully explain the underlying reasons for these disparities in order to give health professionals and guidance writers better understanding and confidence in developing strategies to reduce the disproportionate deaths going forward. Palliative care is an important set of principles that can be delivered in all places within and without buildings to the benefit of dying patients and those deemed important to them. Given these and many other issues surrounding the pandemic, it is apparent that the way palliative care is provided needs to change fast to reflect these challenges, and it is important to predict the possible impact of COVID-19-related deaths on staff and the bereaved well after the pandemic is over. Palliative care is necessary and can be strengthened to offer support to patients and families by ensuring that some of the following are in place or being planned for: