Place of death from cancer in Scotland
2002-2021

About this release

This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) reports on the setting where people died from cancer in Scotland in 2002-2021. Information is presented for deaths in Scotland for the four most common causes of death from cancer (lung, colorectal, breast and prostate cancers) and from all cancers combined.  

Main points

• During the pandemic the most common place of cancer death (41% of all cancer deaths) was at home/private address in both 2020 and 2021. This is an increase from 4,919 cancer deaths in 2019 to 6,825 in 2020 (an increase of 39%).

A line chart showing trends in the percentage of death from cancer in NHS hospital, Hospice, Home/Private Address, and Care Home Service/Other Institution, Scotland, 2002 to 2021

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Trends in place of death from cancer by year of death registration, Scotland, 2002-2021

• In contrast, the numbers of NHS hospital deaths decreased by 17% between 2019 to 2020 from 6,791 to 5,662, respectively, and represented 35% of all cancer deaths in 2020.
• There is a long term trend, from 2002-2021, of decreasing hospital deaths and increasing home deaths among cancer patients. However, between 2016 and 2019 the proportions of those who died at home and in an NHS hospital had plateaued. The specific effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which encouraged some cancer patients to stay at home and did not allow visitors to hospitals/hospices/care homes, appear to have had a large influence on the recent change in proportions.
• In the latest five-year time period, 2017-2021, for people who lived in urban areas, 34% died at home and 19% died in a hospice. For residents of rural areas, 38% died at home and 14% died in a hospice. This may reflect differences in hospice availability between urban and rural areas, as well as patient preference. Slightly higher percentages of people who lived in rural areas died at NHS hospitals (40%) compared to those who lived in urban areas (39%).

Background

The Scottish Government's Strategic Framework for Action on Palliative and End of Life Care together with Beating Cancer: Ambition and Action address palliative and end of life care for patients with life limiting conditions. The Strategic Framework for Action on Palliative and End of Life Care states that “the focus must be on how health and social care integration will improve the organisation and delivery of palliative and end of life care within hospitals and communities, including hospices, care at home, in care homes and other relevant social care services.” It further specifies as one of the National Health and Wellbeing Outcomes, that “people, including those with disabilities or long term conditions, or who are frail, are able to live, as far as reasonably practicable, independently and at home or in a homely setting in their community.” Information in this report could assist the NHS and social care partners in Scotland in assessing the palliative and end of life care needs in all care settings.

Further information

The next release of this publication will be November 2025.