PP-31 What are the most important issues relating to death, dying and bereavement that need addressing to improve care and support at the end-of-life? Qualitative analysis of free text data from the PADDUK 2023 survey

<h3>Introduction</h3> Death, dying and bereavement are inevitable experiences for all. Every year, over 600,000 people die in the UK, a number expected to rise substantially over the next two decades due our aging population. The health and social care systems providing palliative, end-of-life and bereavement care will need to adapt to these increasing numbers, alongside the communities in which people die, give care and grieve. Surveying public priorities can contribute important insights into what matters most to people and where to focus efforts to improve support and understanding at the end-of-life. <h3>Aims</h3> To explore public views on what issues are most important to address to improve end-of-life care and support in the UK. <h3>Methods</h3> A cross-sectional population-based online survey, administered by a commercial research company (Opinium), collected data on public attitudes to death, dying and bereavement in the UK (Marie Curie PADDUK 2023). As part of the survey, respondents were asked ‘What do you think is the most important issue related to death, dying and bereavement that needs addressing to improve care and support at the end-of-life, if anything?’. These free text data will be thematically analysed. <h3>Results</h3> A total of 10,500 UK adults completed the survey. We are currently analysing the free text comments of those who responded to the open-ended question and will present our findings at the conference. <h3>Conclusion</h3> We will provide insights into the public’s perceptions of the most important issues relating to death, dying and bereavement to improve care and support at the end-of-life. <h3>Impact</h3> Our findings will improve understanding of the care and support people want and need at the end-of-life, with the potential to inform policy recommendations, improve practice, guide research priorities and influence public discourse. <h3>References</h3> ONS (2023). Vital statistics in the UK: births, deaths and marriages. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/vitalstatisticspopulationandhealthreferencetables. Marie Curie (2023). How many people need palliative care. Available at: https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/globalassets/media/documents/policy/policy-publications/2023/how-many-people-need-palliative-care.pdf.