New research has shown that doctors are frequently inaccurate when predicting how long those living with terminal illnesses will survive.

Researchers at the Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Department at UCL combined the results of previous studies, reviewing 4,642 records of clinicians’ predictions regarding survival of patients approaching the ends of their lives. The study revealed wide variation in errors, ranging from an underestimate of 86 days to an overestimate of 93 days. The researchers had hoped to find that some doctors – for example, those who were more experienced or older – would be more accurate than others, but the review did not provide any clear evidence that this was the case. The team at the Marie Curie Research