The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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A previous study found that variables related to population health needs were poor predictors of cross-sectional variations in practice payments. ⋯ The existing NHS practice payment formula has demonstrated very little redistributive potential and is unlikely to substantially narrow funding gaps between practices with differing workloads caused by the impact of deprivation.
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Enabling death at home remains an important priority in end-of-life care policy. However, hospital continues to be a more prevalent place of death than home in the UK, with admissions at the end-of-life often negatively labelled. Admissions are frequently attributed to an unsuitable home environment, associated with inadequate family care provision and insufficient professional care delivery. ⋯ Challenges in home care provision led to hospital admissions. Home end-of-life care depended on substantial input from family and professional carers, both of which were under-resourced. Where either care was insufficient to meet the needs of patients, home was no longer deemed to be desirable by healthcare staff and hospital care was sought.