End of life care services in the UK are overstretched, underfunded and overlooked, and dying people are paying the price. It doesn’t have to be this way, and now’s our chance to fix it.
Good end of life care shouldn’t be a postcode lottery
Right now, too many people are dying alone and in avoidable pain. Instead of having joined-up palliative care at home, many terminally ill people spend their final weeks stuck in ambulances, hospital corridors and A&E.
The Government must make radical change
To fix end of life care so that it works for everyone, we’re calling on the UK Government to…
- prioritise palliative and end of life care in the NHS England 10 Year Plan and develop an urgent strategy to improve the care dying people receive
- establish a transformation fund for end of life care services that can reduce reliance on hospitals and emergency services, and deliver a shift to community based care
- ensure every area has 24/7 co-ordinated end of life care through a dedicated local advice line that can be accessed via 111, and guaranteed access to palliative medicines
- invest in the workforce, with fair pay and better training for those caring for dying people across the NHS and hospice charities.
Investing in palliative and end of life care makes sense for everyone
Research shows we spend five times as much on supporting people in their final year of life as hospital in-patients than we do supporting them with primary care, community health and hospice care.
With better community services, dying people will be able to get the care and pain-relief they need, when they need it. And fewer people will have to rely on emergency services and hospitals, reducing pressure on the NHS. It’s a win-win.
Sign the petition
Think it's time to fix end of life care? Add your name to our petition today.
