Marie Curie's response to today's Budget announcement

Marie Curie has responded to today's Budget announcement by the Chancellor, Philip Hammond.

Simon Jones, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Marie Curie, said:

"It is extremely disappointing that today’s budget has failed to take any further steps towards alleviating pressure on our critically overburdened social care services. The crisis in social care has been building for years, yet the Government has continued to overlook the problem. Now we are left with an entire year before the next budget and another opportunity for funding.

"Without urgent investment, services will not be able to cope with the needs of people across the UK. The government’s own projections show that 488,000 people are expected to die in the next year, and the majority of those will be reliant on expert care at the end of their lives. Ultimately this lack of investment means that dying people will continue to miss out on the care and support that they and their loved ones need, and many will continue dying in unnecessary pain in places they would not choose to be.

"Despite their recent announcement to consult on social care next summer, we are calling on the Government to recognise the strain the sector is under right now, and provide an urgent injection of funding. We cannot make dying people wait time they simply do not have left for services to be able to meet their needs."