After the failure of the assisted dying bill, Hospice UK, Age UK, Marie Curie, Sue Ryder and Together for Short Lives have called for improvements to palliative care. 

Following the failure of Kim Leadbeater’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at the end of April, a coalition of the UK’s leading health and care charities has come together to warn that, without urgent UK Government action, huge numbers of people each year will die without the palliative and end of life care they need. 

In an open letter to health secretary, Wes Streeting, Hospice UK, Age UK, Marie Curie, Sue Ryder and Together for Short Lives have said: “Regardless of where people stood on the debate about assisted dying, the one thing that united everyone across the House was a belief that palliative care needs to be so much better than it is today, and that is what we will work on together”.  

Recent research by Marie Curie, led by researchers at King’s College London and Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, found that nearly one in three people in England die without adequate care and support. This equates to around 170,000 people every year, or nearly one person every three minutes. 

“Our research shows that many people are reaching the end of their lives with distressing symptoms that aren’t being addressed, and without feeling adequately supported by primary care,” said Anna Bone, study lead and lecturer in epidemiology and palliative care at King’s College London. 

“We also found that the number of people experiencing unmet needs is likely to rise in the years ahead. At a time that is already profoundly difficult for individuals and their families, everyone should be able to access the care and support they need,” she added. 

Cuts to frontline services 

The letter warns that without immediate intervention, the situation will deteriorate further. Demand for palliative and end-of-life care is projected to increase by around 25% by 2048, driven by an ageing population and rising levels of complex illness. 

It comes as Hospice UK data shows that nearly 60% of hospices have either implemented or are considering cuts to frontline services, with financial pressures forcing reductions in care despite rising demand.  

The charities are urging the UK Government to act on its own admission that palliative and end-of-life care must be improved. They are calling for the proper resourcing and provision of care to meet the growing demand and a guarantee that everyone will have access to the high-quality care they need, around the clock, regardless of where they live. 

“High-quality palliative and end-of-life care is essential to making a good death a reality. The focus now must be on making sure it is available to everyone who needs it,” said Hospice UK chief executive Toby Porter. 

“It is encouraging that the secretary of state has said that end-of-life care reform is urgently needed, but we now need to follow up on this commitment to ensure that no one faces death alone. To stop people dying with unnecessary pain or in a place they don’t want to be requires bold thinking and collaboration from the government with our sector,” added James Sanderson, chief executive of Sue Ryder.