Hospice UK is the national charity for hospice and end of life care. Our membership includes all of the country’s independent charitable hospices, two national charities (Sue Ryder and Marie Curie) as well as the charities raising funds for NHS hospice services.
Hospice UK recognises that the views of staff, volunteers and trustees of our members will reflect the full spectrum of views on assisted dying that exist in society. We understand that people and organisations have strong opinions on this sensitive and emotive issue.
It’s not our role as Hospice UK to either support or oppose a change in the law. Rather, our aim is to ensure our members have the opportunity to contribute their views, experience and expertise to this national conversation.
As the national debate intensifies around potential changes to the law, Hospice UK will lead a series of events and other opportunities for our membership to come together, understand and debate with each other the implications of any potential change in the law on the hospice sector.
We anticipate that Hospice UK may be asked to communicate our members' questions and concerns. Hospices will need to understand how they will be affected by any potential future legislative changes across the UK, and how they might be involved in any research or consultations ahead of such changes
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The hospice sector may have a range of views on assisted dying, but the mission we all share is for everyone to have a good death, knowing that their loved ones will be supported.
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Hospice UK estimates that one in four people currently do not receive the specialist palliative care they need because of marginalisation and exclusion, exacerbated by a postcode lottery of patchy, uneven services and funding.
We believe that the assisted dying debate must include discussion about how we can make good palliative care available and accessible to everyone, whoever they are and wherever they live.
Hospice UK hopes that people will listen to and attempt to understand the different opinions in the debate about assisted dying, including and perhaps especially views different to their own.
