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COVER : O'Rourke et al . found that hypoalbuminaemia and peritoneal disease are associated with reduced 90‐day survival in patients with malignant bowel obstruction, conferring 3.33‐fold and 5.80‐fold increases in mortality risk, respectively. In contrast, early inpatient palliative care involvement was linked to a 69% reduction in the odds of 90‐day readmission. These findings identify serum albumin and disease burden as key prognostic indicators and highlight early palliative care as an effective strategy to reduce recurrent hospitalisations. The study underscores the importance of careful patient selection for surgical intervention based on overall prognosis, while prioritising symptom control and palliative management for inoperable cases. See pages 196–203 for details.