The US-based Center to Advance Palliative Care has issued a national ‘Report Card’ which upgrades the overall level of palliative care accessibility in the country to a B grade, up from C in 2008.

But whilst the number of hospitals with specialist palliative care units has increased significantly in recent years (more than doubling since 2000), there is still room for improvement, with Diane Meier, director of the Center, stating that “millions of seriously ill Americans still do not have access.”

As well as an overall national grade, the report marked states individually, with seven states (including Minnesota, Vermont and Washington) scoring an A – up from just three in 2008. Most states received a B grade, with only two – Delaware and Mississippi – given an F.

Read the full report and view the interactive map here.