"The McKirdy report lays bare the challenges facing the NHS in Scotland, from overburdened hospitals to stark inequities in the care people can access.
"We know that too many people in Scotland are dying without the support they need. And too many are spending their final months in hospital – not because they need or want to be there, but because the system gives them no other choice.
"Hospices are vital partners to the NHS and a key part of the solution to the pressures being faced. Hospices provide vital support that helps keep people at home and in their local community. These services could – and should - be growing to meet rising demand from our ageing population. But in fact they are shrinking.
"The next Scottish Government must make palliative care a national priority by reforming and investing in palliative care to meet growing need and by delivering a long-term sustainable funding model for hospice care."
