This month, Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Epping Forest, joined Hospice UK in calling for the Government to act to provide immediate reform to better support hospices and the palliative care they provide.
The event saw Dr Hudson join Hospice UK, which works to champion the work and needs of hospices across the UK, to shine a light on the vital support that hospices provide at the end of life, meeting with representatives of hospices to hear more about the work they do for those facing the end of life. In particular, he heard about how much of the support hospices provide are in the community, such as in people’s own homes.
During the event, Dr Hudson also joined parliamentary colleagues in signing a letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, organised by Hospice UK, calling for four improvements to be made to support the crucial work of hospices, which were:
1. The full funding of specialist palliative care provided by hospices
2. The proper provision of NHS contracts for hospices
3. Government funding to cover NHS pay rises for hospice staff
4. National accountability for equitable provision of palliative care
These reforms are needed due to the unfortunate reality that the hospice sector is currently not being given the support it needs. For example, a majority of the funding hospices receive does not come from the NHS but from the charitable sector, unlike other forms of healthcare, leaving them on the frontline without the full financial support they need to support people at the end of life.
The crucial support hospices provide was brought to the fore in meeting with Anushka (pictured), who bravely took the time to share her story about the care her local hospice provided for her husband Mike at the end of his life during his battle with cancer.
Championing the hospice sector and its need for support is a cause Dr Hudson is passionate about, having raised the lack of funding hospices currently receive from the Government in the House of Commons earlier this year, and regularly supports the work of local hospices in Essex, such as his recent visit to a new shop in Loughton in support of St Clare Hospice.
Following the event, Dr Hudson commented:
“My heartfelt thanks to Hospice UK for taking the time to highlight the urgent need to improve end of life care.”
“I too am particularly grateful to and humbled by Anushka for sharing her moving story with me of the support her family received for her husband, Mike, at the end of his life, and bringing home just how crucial supporting our palliative care providers is.”
“The Government urgently needs to address the present imbalance in healthcare that the majority of palliative care is delivered outside the NHS, mainly by charities.”
“The Government should look at Hospice UK’s recommendations and work to implement them with urgency.”
(Photo L-R: Dr Neil Hudson MP and Anushka, an attendee who shared her experience of her late husband receiving palliative care)
