Research indicates that the major part of terminally ill and dying patients wish to die at home, but in 1993 actually only 24% of Danish cancer patients died at home. The aim of this study was to analyse some barriers the general practitioners meet in the care for dying patients. The focus was unplanned hospitalisation in the final days of the patient's life contrary to home death as planned. The informal carer's lack of resources and insufficient control of symptoms were found to be the immediate reasons for acute hospitalisation. In addition, if the general practitioner did not have a central position in home care, we found a greater risk of unplanned hospitalisation. The conditions for improving home care for the dying are better support for the informal carer, ongoing access to experts in palliation and improved communication overall in the health service.