Marie Curie responds to the Adult Social Care Reform White Paper

Dr Sam Royston, Director of Policy and Research, at the end of life charity, Marie Curie, responds to the Adult Social Care Reform White Paper, released by the Department of Health and Social Care today:

"Confronted with an increasing number of people living with terminal illness, how the social care system supports people towards the end of their lives is one of the biggest challenges it faces. Right now, too many people die without the right social care in place. This means they die in pain, because they can't access medication in the home; people spend their final days in squalor, because there aren't enough carers, and family members supporting a loved one neglect their own health because there is a lack of respite care.

"Today's white paper does little to reassure us that the UK Government has a clear plan to address this. In the pandemic we've seen a huge shift to people dying within the home. This will only continue in the coming years.

"End of life care needs to be at the heart of social care reforms and needs to work hand in glove with the Health and Care Bill, which, in its current form also fails to prioritise end of life care. The Government can no longer close its eyes to the needs of dying people."