Response to new national service specification for palliative and end of life care in Wales

Responding to the launch of the Welsh Government’s national service specification for palliative and end of life care services in Wales, Matthew Brindley, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Hospice UK said: 

“Hospice UK welcomes the new service specification in Wales, and its ambition to establish clear standards for the provision of high-quality, equitable, and person-centred care that patients, their families, and unpaid carers can reasonably expect to receive. This is an important step towards ensuring that every person in Wales with a palliative care need receives the best possible care.

“We also welcome publication of the Palliative and End of Life Care Competency Framework and Children and Young People's Bereavement Guidance. These important documents will undoubtedly help outline the knowledge, skills, and competencies required by healthcare professionals and provide vital guidance and support structures for addressing bereavement needs of children and young people.

“However, if we are going to meet the ever increasing need for palliative care in Wales, the future requires even greater transformation. Too many people in Wales are still dying without the support they need, and too many are spending their final weeks in hospital beds, not because they need to be there, but because the system gives them no other choice.

We need bold action to deliver urgent reforms: investing in palliative care to meet rising demand, expanding community-based services, and reducing avoidable hospital admissions.

“Welsh hospices are vital to achieving this change in partnership with the NHS. The Welsh Government must now deliver on its commitment to create a national commissioning framework and a sustainable funding settlement for hospices, including full pay parity with NHS staff.”