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A group of high-profile figures have shared personal accounts of losing loved ones while calling on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to overhaul end-of-life care across the country.
Monty Python actor Sir Michael Palin said that the “calm and dignified end” provided to his late wife by Marie Curie ought to be accessible to all, whereas Gavin and Stacey actress Alison Steadman recalled her mother’s passing, insisting that “everyone deserves a good death”.
Research conducted by end-of-life charity Marie Curie indicates that nearly one in three people in England pass away without adequate care and support, representing approximately 170,000 individuals every year.
Earlier this year, a joint letter sent to the government by a number of organisations warned that overall demand for palliative services will increase by around 25% by 2048, “driven by an ageing population and rising levels of complex illness”.
Mr Burnham has previously highlighted the urgent importance of addressing “the funding of palliative care and social care”.
The charity is now urging the government at Westminster to release “a workable strategy, backed by funding” to ensure that patients are looked after “with care and compassion, not chance or luck”.
This appeal is endorsed by notable figures including former Eastenders actor Larry Lamb, screenwriter Russell T Davies and football pundit Chris Kamara.
Kamara remembered how his own mother died “supported, with the right medication and the specialised care for someone who was dying”.
But he added: “I know how lucky we were – but it shouldn’t be down to luck. Not enough people get this, and it simply isn’t right.
“Andy Burnham has said palliative care needs fixing – we need to ensure he follows through to fix it now.”
Dr Who writer Davies said the care by Marie Curie nurses for his husband in 2018 “allowed Andrew to die at home, where he wanted to be”, adding that it was “sad to think how easily it could have been different”.
He added: “We need to look after people who are dying properly, and right now that’s too much of a battle.”
Sir Michael described the care for his wife as “wonderful, thoughtful and caring” and he said she had been “delivered from much of the pain and discomfort she’d endured for years”.
He added: “Everyone should have access to the care they need and deserve.”
Lamb said he had been able to “say goodbye properly” to his brother in a Marie Curie hospice, adding: “I can only imagine what it would have been like for Wes to not get the pain relief he needed in his final days.
“But this is a reality for many people. We all deserve to die in dignity and something needs to change to make that happen.”
His Gavin and Stacey co-star Steadman, who is an ambassador for Marie Curie, said: “Like my mum, everyone deserves a good death. High-quality end of life care should be available for everyone, not a ‘nice to have’ if you are lucky.”
Marie Curie has described existing palliative care provision as patchy, with services varying greatly across the UK and referred to a recent survey it did with Nursing Standard which found that more than half of 1,050 frontline nurses had delivered end of life care in a corridor.
Acknowledging health is a devolved issue, Marie Curie chief executive Matthew Reed said: “We need the governments of all four nations to take heed and take action.
“But right now, our eyes are on Westminster as England can lead the way in publishing a workable strategy, backed by funding, that would drag us into the 21st century and look after our dying with care and compassion, not chance or luck.”
The charity has warned any upcoming plan for improvement “must come with short-term funding support to make it happen”, calling for a £200 million-a-year three-year fund.
It has argued that anything less would make it difficult to fulfil the government’s aim of shifting more care from hospitals into the community.
Marie Curie has said there must be universal access to 24/7 support through the 111 helpline, improved access to specialist end of life medicines and a two-hour urgent community response service operating always for people with palliative and end of life care needs.
A Department of Health and Social Care Spokesperson said: “We recognise the financial pressures many hospices are currently facing and are working with the sector and NHS partners to create a more sustainable funding approach, so patients and families can continue to get the care they need.
“The Prime Minister and Health Secretary have made clear their commitment to improving palliative care, including through our new Modern Service Framework, which will help address some of the most significant challenges facing the sector, including regional variations in access and quality, gaps in provision, and workforce shortages.”
