To evaluate spatial access to inpatient hospice units across the UK by analysing travel times and population coverage at national and subnational levels.
Methods
A population-based spatial analysis using UK-wide data. Hospice locations were mapped, and motorised travel times to the nearest unit were estimated. Access population coverage was calculated for the following time thresholds: 30, 60, and 120 min. All 199 adult inpatient hospice units operating within the UK were included. High-resolution population data (1 km2) from the WorldPop dataset and administrative boundaries from the UK Office for National Statistics were used to estimate access for the total population.
Results
Median travel times varied widely: 16.4 min in England, 25.5 in Wales, 40.3 in Northern Ireland, and 70.4 in Scotland. Within a 30-min threshold, 97.6% of England's population had access compared with 78.5% in Wales, 70.3% in Scotland, and 68.5% in Northern Ireland. Even with a 60-min threshold, 15.4% of Scotland's population and 6.4% of Northern Ireland's remained without access.
Conclusions
This study provides the first national spatial analysis of hospice inpatient access in the UK, highlighting persistent regional inequities. Geographic accessibility analysis offers valuable insights to guide equitable service planning and should inform future policy and research.
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