Sue Ryder's letter to the new UK Government

4746

Goal: 5000

Will you speak up for people who are dying or grieving?

We need the UK Government to commit to making changes to end-of-life care and bereavement support as a priority.

In 2022-23, hospices cared for 300,000 people and supported 60,000 family members, friends and carers, but currently, hospices only receive a third of the funding they need to provide this. And by 2030, the demand for palliative care is due to increase by 55%.
When someone dies it is estimated that their death can affect nine people. Sue Ryder research in 2022 found that 70% of people were unable to access the support they would have wanted after someone close to them died.

This isn't good enough and that is why we need you to speak up for people who are dying or grieving to tell the Government they must do better.

Add your name to Sue Ryder's letter to the Government because nobody should face death or grief alone

First Name *

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Dear UK Government,

Your Letter *

It’s been XX days since you took your position as the UK Government – and we’re hopeful that the challenge you are about to undertake will include action to address issues in palliative and end-of-life care, and bereavement support.   

Palliative and end-of-life care 

It is estimated that 90% of people who die in the UK would benefit from palliative care. In 2021, 600,000 people died who needed palliative care. This is set to rise to 660,000, a 10% increase, by 2033. If things don’t change more people risk not getting vital care at the end of life. That shouldn’t be happening. 

Palliative care helps people to live well; giving them a better quality of life and managing their pain, symptoms, and emotional distress. In 2022-23, hospices in the UK provided palliative and end-of-life care to 300,000 people and provided support to 60,000 family members, friends and carers. Hospices also ease the strain on the overstretched NHS; they can free up much needed hospital beds and prevent emergency admissions for people who are dying.  

But these services don’t have enough funding from the government, and many people don’t know about the help hospices give and how to access it. On average, hospices receive a third of the funding they need from government and rely on raising money through fundraising and voluntary donations to cover the rest. 

Hospice funding must be addressed over the next Parliament. Unless the funding changes, hospices will remain under threat and more and more people will miss out on the care they need at the end of life, because the amount of funding received does not cover the costs of the care provided. 

Bereavement support 

When someone dies it is estimated that their death can affect nine people. Over 650,000 people died in the UK in 2022, meaning millions of people across the UK are impacted by bereavement every year.   

However, many bereaved people do not get the support they need, risking more severe impacts to their mental health and physical wellbeing. Sue Ryder (2022) research found that 70% of people were unable to access the support they would have wanted after someone close to them died. 

This is unacceptable. Grief is something that will affect us all at some point in our lives. We believe everyone who is grieving should be able to access the support they need, when they need it.  

What needs to change 

Now is your chance to make a change for the future health and wellbeing of our society.  

Sue Ryder, Hospice UK, Marie Curie, the National Bereavement Alliance and Together for Short Lives have written a manifesto for palliative and end-of-life care and bereavement. 

We support their calls on the Government to: 

1.  Increase the funding provided to hospices and palliative and end-of-life care services  
2.  Introduce a national plan to improve how palliative and end-of-life care is delivered  
3.  Make sure that palliative and end-of-life care services meet everyone’s needs, including those of people dying at home 
4.  Make sure that nobody dies in poverty and tackle inequalities in palliative and end-of-life care   
5.  Improve support for families and carers of people with a terminal illness, including improving bereavement support. 

We urge you to make end-of-life care and bereavement support a cornerstone of your healthcare plans - because no one should face death or grief alone.

Yours sincerely,

Yours sincerely,
[your name will go here]
[your email address will go here] [your location will go here]

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