Place of death from cancer in Scotland
2015-2024

About this release

This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) examines the place of death for people who died from cancer in Scotland between 2015 and 2024. Statistics are provided relating to deaths due to the four most common cancers (lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate), alongside deaths from all cancers combined. 

Main points

• There were 49,474 deaths from cancer, including non-melanoma skin cancer, in Scotland in the three-year period 2022-2024. Of these, 19,494 (39.4%) occurred in NHS hospitals, 18,325 (37.0%) occurred at home/private address and 7,598 (15.4%) occurred in hospices.

Line chart showing the percentage distribution of cancer deaths by place of death in Scotland from 2015 to 2024. NHS hospital deaths decline from around 43% in 2015 to a low of 34.7% in 2020, before rising again to about 40% in 2024. Home or private address deaths remain around 30% between 2015 and 2019, increase sharply to around 42% in 2020 and 2021, and then gradually decrease to 36% by 2024. Hospice deaths are stable at around 20% before falling in 2020 and 2021, then partially recovering to 16% in 2024. Deaths in care homes or other institutions remain relatively stable at around 8% throughout the period.

Close

Trends in place of death from cancer by year of death registration, Scotland, 2015-2024

• Between 2015 and 2024, the percentage of people who died from cancer in an NHS hospital reduced from 43.3% to 40.1%, while the percentage of people who died at home increased from 29.6% to 35.8%. The COVID‑19 pandemic altered patterns of cancer death locations in 2020 and 2021, with public health restrictions contributing to a shift towards deaths occurring at home and a corresponding decline in deaths in NHS hospitals.

Background

The Scottish Government's Palliative Care Matters for All: palliative care strategy 2025 to 2030 together with Cancer Strategy 2023 to 2033 address palliative care and care around dying for patients with life limiting conditions. A central aim of the palliative care strategy is that “people of all ages with life shortening conditions and their families and carers receive palliative care, care around dying and bereavement support based on what matters to them.” It emphasises the importance of providing early general palliative care for people where they live, and around dying, that people “are cared for and comfortable wherever they die, with people close to them involved and supported.” Information in this report is aimed at assisting the NHS and social care partners in Scotland in assessing the palliative care and care around dying needs in all care settings.

Further information

The next release of this publication will be in 2028.