Next Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive must prioritise end of life care

Joan McEwan Associate Director of Policy, Marie Curie Northern Ireland said:

The next Assembly and Executive need to support dying people better. More people are living longer in Northern Ireland with multiple chronic health conditions and complex needs.

Palliative care demand has doubled over the last decade, and with an ageing population, many more of us will require end of life care over the coming years. Estimates suggest that palliative care demand here is likely to increase by over 30 percent by 2040.

The stark reality is that too many people are already living with unmet needs at the end of life – facing barriers to care and support because of factors like their diagnosis, where they live or where they're being cared for.

During the pandemic, the last two years have provided us with some insight into what increased demand for palliative care could look like, with more people dying in community settings and Health and Social Care services severely stretched. Time is running out to bolster these services and key policy decisions will need to be taken soon if we are to deliver a palliative and end of life care system that is fit for the future.

Nobody should be faced with barriers and challenges when trying to access the care and support they need. To start to address these issues, Northern Ireland urgently needs a new Palliative and End of Life Care Strategy. Our last strategy was published more than ten years ago and sufficient resources were never committed to fully delivering it.

A decade on and a pandemic later, we are in a much different landscape. Without decisive action from our legislators, many more people will reach the end of life without the vital care and support they need. This is a serious issue that must be addressed as a priority by the next Assembly and Executive.