Our Leeds NHS pilot project concluded in September 2024. You can download and read our full service evaluation report here.
In a pioneering step for end of life care, Leeds became the first city in the UK to commission end of life doula support through the NHS in May 2022. This pilot project, coordinated by EoLDUK, provided compassionate, non-medical support during the final weeks and months of life to people with a terminal diagnosis and those important to them. The Open University partnered with EoLDUK to independently evaluate the project and published a report at the half-way point of the project in July 2023 which is available open access here. This report underscores the significance of this project, highlighting the growing demand for end of life doulas and the ability of doulas to ‘fill the gaps’ in the health and social care system. The report stresses the positive impact of end of life doulas on increasing wellbeing, as well as the cost-effectiveness of integrating end of life doula support within public health frameworks.
Reference: Borgstrom, E., Bashir, K., Pestano, C., & Ramsey-Jones, E. (2023). End of life Doula UK evaluation: leeds and surrounding areas NHS Commission.
