Response to Private Members Bill on Assisted Dying

Matthew Reed, chief executive of end of life charity Marie Curie, said:

"With a Private Members Bill on assisted dying now confirmed, we understand that, as the UK's leading end of life charity, there will be increased interest in Marie Curie's position. We also recognise that the assisted dying debate is highly emotional and will be triggering to many, so would like to extend our support to anyone affected. Details of our free and confidential Support Line, webchat and Companion services can be found online at mariecurie.org.uk

"Marie Curie firmly maintains a neutral position on the matter of assisted dying, we do not campaign for or against a change in the law. What we're absolutely not neutral on however is the urgent need to improve palliative and end of life care and financial support for dying people. Ninety per cent of the population could benefit from palliative care in their final months, weeks and days of life. And yet, despite it being an essential area of healthcare, palliative and end of life care is regularly overlooked, and isn't funded sustainably, with charities like Marie Curie having to fundraise to provide vital care.

"We know that too many people are not getting access to the palliative and end of life care they need, resulting in avoidable pain, unnecessary trips to A&E and distress for families and loved ones. Our recent Better End of Life report revealed patchy and inconsistent end of life care provision across England and Wales with some shocking findings including that 1 in 5 dying people had no contact with their GP in the last three months of life. We also know the current benefits system is not fit for purpose to support dying people, with 90,000 people a year dying in poverty.

"We ask the government to recognise the urgent and immediate need for improved palliative and end of life care and financial support for dying people, regardless of the assisted dying debate. We are calling for a national plan for end of life care - supported by a funding package - that delivers 24/7 access to joined-up, person centred care, addresses the current postcode lottery in end of life care and reduces the reliance on charitable donations.

"The idea of people choosing an assisted death because they are unable to access the care they need at the end of life should be intolerable to all of us. MPs must now decide whether it would be right to introduce assisted dying without also having a realistic plan for ensuring that everyone has access to the best possible palliative and social care at the end of life."