Toby Perkins, MP for Chesterfield, has given his backing to the call to urgently tackle the palliative and end of life care failures across the UK.
Following Toby’s meeting with Marie Curie’s service in the Chesterfield Royal Hospital last month, he sent a letter to the Chancellor calling on the government to fund innovative new models of care.
Despite recent funding increases for the NHS, palliative and end of life care services are facing a severe financial crisis, eroding access to care for many people. In Chesterfield, despite record fundraising by locals for Ashgate Hospice, the hospice has experienced financial challenges, leading to the closure of some beds.
Toby met Marie Curie most recently at Labour Party Conference, where he discussed the letter he recently sent on their behalf to the Chancellor, and how government intends to shift the dial on palliative care in the forthcoming Modern Service Framework for Palliative and End of Life Care.
The meeting at Labour Party Conference was timely, as Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced that the government will establish a National Care Service in the next parliament, providing free personal care for older people. The ongoing independent commission run by Baroness Louise Casey will inform his social care reforms.
Toby Perkins MP said: “End of life care, such as that provided by Ashgate Hospice, and in Chesterfield Royal Hospital by Marie curie, should be something that all people have access to, to ensure their final days are dignified and comfortable, and their families are supported.
But palliative and end of life care services are still under strain, despite the additional funding for hospices that government provided last year.
I welcome the reform of adult social care in the next parliament, but funding is urgently needed before then to ensure that all people have access to the care they need.”