Marie Curie responds to the Health Select Committee report on end of life care

In response to a report published today by the Health Select Committee looking at end of life care, Dr Jane Collins, Chief Executive of Marie Curie, said: “As the leading charity providing care to people with any terminal illness and funding research in this area, we welcome the Health Select Committee report into end of life care.

“The report highlights what we already know about the reality of services for people living with a terminal illness and their carers across the UK – that there are huge variations in access to and that quality of community services depending on where people live and what their diagnosis is. New research conducted by Ipsos Mori* for Marie Curie has found that 7 out of 10 carers say that people with a terminal illness do not get all the care and support they need. We don’t think that is good enough.

“As acknowledged in the report people who receive our Marie Curie Nursing Service in the community are less likely to require hospital care and are much more likely to die at home. Further, even when all other care costs are considered, people with access to Marie Curie Nurses have total care costs of £500 less than people who were not provided with Marie Curie Nurses by their local NHS. But of course our main aim is to ensure people die in their place of choice.

“This situation must change. The majority of people say they do not get the care and support they need and still around half of people in the UK, die in hospital despite this being the more expensive option and the place where most people say they would not want to die. The challenge for the next Government is clear – there needs to be a dramatic improvement in access to high quality care in the community, available for people early on in their illnesses so that they can live well and stay out of hospital for as long as possible. It is what people want and it is right for the NHS too.”