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Background: COVID-19 public health restrictions have affected end-of-life care experiences for dying patients and their families., Aim: To explore bereaved relatives' experiences of quality of care and family support provided during the last days of life; to identify the impact of factors associated with perceived support., Design: A national, observational, open online survey was developed and disseminated via social media, public fora and professional networks (June-September 2020). Validated instruments and purposively designed questions assessed experiences. Analysis used descriptive statistics, logistic regression and thematic analysis of free-text responses., Participants: Individuals (⩾18 years) who had experienced the death of a relative/friend (all care settings) within the United Kingdome during the COVID-19 pandemic., Results: Respondents ( n  = 278, mean 53.4 years) tended to be female ( n  = 216, 78%); over half were 'son/daughter' (174, 62.6%) to the deceased. Deceased individuals (mean 81.6 years) most frequently died in their 'usual place of care' ( n  = 192, 69.3%). Analysis established five conceptual themes affecting individualised care: (1) public health restrictions compounding the distress of 'not knowing'; (2) disparate views about support from doctors and nurses; (3) challenges in communication and level of preparedness for the death; (4) delivery of compassionate care; (5) emotional needs and potential impact on grief. Male respondents (OR 2.9, p  = 0.03) and those able to visit (OR 2.2, p  = 0.04) were independently associated with good perceptions of family support., Conclusion: Despite public health restrictions, individualised care can be enabled by proactive, informative communication; recognising dying in a timely manner and facilitating the ability to be present before death.

Background: Health and social care professionals' ability to address the needs of patients and their relatives at end of life is likely to have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic., Aim: To explore health and social care professionals' experiences of providing end of life care during the COVID-19 pandemic to help inform current/future clinical practice and policy., Design: A qualitative interview study. Data were analysed using thematic analysis., Setting/participants: Sixteen health and social care professionals working across a range of clinical settings in supporting dying patients during the first wave (March-June 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom., Results: Participants reported emotional and practical challenges to providing end of life care during the pandemic, including increases in patient numbers, reduced staffing levels and relying on virtual platforms for sensitive, emotive conversations with relatives. Participants were central to promoting connections between patients and their families at end of life and creating opportunities for a final contact before the death. However, the provision of support varied as a consequence of the pressures of the pandemic. Results are discussed under two themes: (1) challenges and facilitators to providing end of life care, and (2) support needs of relatives when a family member was dying during the COVID-19 pandemic., Conclusion: There is a need for flexible visiting arrangements at end of life during a pandemic. A systems-level approach is necessary to promote the wellbeing of health and social care professionals providing end of life care during and after a pandemic.

Background: Meeting the needs of relatives when a family member is dying can help facilitate better psychological adjustment in their grief. However, end of life experiences for families are likely to have been deleteriously impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Understanding how families' needs can be met during a global pandemic will have current/future relevance for clinical practice and policy., Aim: To explore relatives' experiences and needs when a family member was dying during the COVID-19 pandemic., Design: Interpretative qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed thematically., Setting/participants: A total of 19 relatives whose family member died during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom., Results: In the absence of direct physical contact, it was important for families to have a clear understanding of their family member's condition and declining health, stay connected with them in the final weeks/days of life and have the opportunity for a final contact before they died. Health and social care professionals were instrumental to providing these aspects of care, but faced practical challenges in achieving these. Results are presented within three themes: (1) entering into the final weeks and days of life during a pandemic, (2) navigating the final weeks of life during a pandemic and (3) the importance of 'saying goodbye' in a pandemic., Conclusions: Health and social care professionals can have an important role in mitigating the absence of relatives' visits at end of life during a pandemic. Strategies include prioritising virtual connectedness and creating alternative opportunities for relatives to 'say goodbye'.