Rapid evaluation of the COVID-19 pandemic response in palliative and end of life care: national delivery, workforce and symptom management (CovPall)

The COVID-19 pandemic is placing an unprecedented strain on health care services. Although many people survive, an estimated 1 to 4% die from this disease. There are more than 10,000 UK deaths from COVID-19, with numbers escalating. Many of the symptoms, such as breathlessness, fever, agitation and pain, are very distressing. But in this new disease these symptoms are not well understood. Palliative care services are adapting rapidly to this situation, but in different ways, not knowing what is best. This research aims to rapidly evaluate the palliative care response in COVID-19 to improve care now and in the future. There are two main components, called work packages (WPs), to the research. WP1 surveys, UK wide, palliative care medical or nursing leads, about their changes in practice, how they deploy the workforce, volunteers and technology, their innovations and challenges. WP2 collects data about patients' symptoms, how they change over time, and the effects of treatments. We collect this information immediately and quickly (phase I), and then repeat the data collection after 6-8 weeks (phase II) to understand how practice is changing. We involve patients, families, the public, policy makers and services in all stages of the research. We release early findings, to help catalyse an effective response.