Marie Curie comment on UK Government's Spring Statement

Sam Royston, Executive Director of Policy and Research at Marie Curie, said:

There is currently a crisis in end of life care in our country – with too many people dying in avoidable pain, poverty and alone. Marie Curie research shows that under the current benefits system, 111,000 people are dying in poverty each year in the UK, with working-age people at significantly higher risk. Many people with a terminal illness rely on the social security system to support them in their final months, weeks, and days, so we urgently need clarity on how terminally ill people will be protected through the changes currently being made.

We are particularly concerned about people living with terminal illness who are expected to live longer than a year, and those who haven't received a prognosis at all, who are particularly at risk of being pushed into poverty by today's measures.

We welcome the Spring Statement's confirmation of ongoing increases in funding for the NHS, but targeted investment in palliative and end of life care is desperately needed to ensure that dying people get the care and support they need. The government has set out its ambition to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, and the launch of a new government transformation fund presents a vital opportunity to realise that shift in end of life care. At the Spending Review in June, the Chancellor must allocate transformation funding for new, innovative and integrated end of life care services. 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.