Opinion: End of life care must not be overlooked in the next government, says cancer charity

Dear Editor,

With party manifestos and policies dominating the news, the general election is no doubt at the forefront of reader’s minds. What is concerning is that none of the parties have set out a comprehensive plan to fix end of life care, which will be a significant challenge for our health and care systems in the years to come.

This election, Marie Curie, the UKs leading end of life charity, is asking politicians to commit to; ending the postcode lottery in access, finding a sustainable way to fund vital end of life care, and setting out a national plan for end of life care that guarantees 24/7 access. 

Over the next parliament, 3.3 million people in the UK will die and without action after this election, more people will have a bad death, carers will suffer, and there will be more strain on the NHS.

The current system all too often forces people with a terminal illness into hospital when they don’t want or need to be there which causes unnecessary strain for people living with terminal illness, their families, and the NHS.

Marie Curie last year provided direct support to more than 61,800 people through its services. The charity provides expert end of life care for people with any illness they are likely to die from and those they care for, through its free information and support line, as well as in its hospices and where people live. 

We are urging people across the South East to sign our petition, to ensure that over the course of the next government, end of life care is no longer overlooked. The petition can be found here: mariecurie.org.uk/petition

Toby North

Head of Public Affairs, Marie Curie