This week the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, gave an update on the UK Government’s spending plans in the Spring Statement. 📝 It’s good news that the NHS will receive more funding, but we’re yet to see any specific investment that will go towards fixing palliative and end of life care services. This must be a priority for the Chancellor at the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review in June. ❌ No proposed changes will take place until April 2026 at the earliest. But we are calling for urgent clarity from the UK Government on what the changes mean for terminally ill people.
Looks like Marie Curie has got its own solutions for fixing end of life care, by simply reducing it to a District Nurse type service. Those who need inpatient hospice care end up in NHS hospitals which are full. It's tragic that they have closed their only inpatient hospice care in London leaving patients at end of life to suffer.
Increased NHS funding is a positive step, but palliative and end-of-life care must not be overlooked. Urgent clarity and dedicated investment are needed to support those facing terminal illness.