The Scottish Government is looking to raise the level of palliative care across Scotland with the launch of a new consultation on its Palliative Care Matters for All strategy.
The strategy, which is set to last for five years up to the end of the decade, has four main cornerstones – they include:
- Work together to deliver care that is right for everyone
- Take a whole-system population health approach with data
- Ensure equity and equality of access
- Enable leadership across health and social care systems and with sector partners
Strategy aims
Ultimately, NHS Scotland wants to provide the best possible standards of palliative care for adults, children, families, carers etc.
“Talking more openly about palliative care is the first step to understanding how and when it can benefit us – often at a much earlier stage and for longer than most people realise,” said Scotland’s public health minister, Jenni Minto.
“We want to make sure that everyone who needs it can access well-coordinated, timely and high-quality palliative care along with care around dying and bereavement support.”
The Scottish Govt’s clinical lead for palliative care, Dr Kirsty Boyd, added: “I have seen first-hand how timely, high quality palliative care can really make a difference to people and their families in supporting them to live their life to the full.
“Palliative care focuses on what matters to each adult or child and how we help them live as well as possible for however long that is. What counts when someone is dying is that they are well cared for, comfortable and with the people closest to them wherever they are.”
Calls to action
Palliative has been a widely discussed point all year, with five of the country’s leading charities launching a call to action before the general election to all major political leaders.
Two of the five signatories of the letter were Toby Porter, CEO at Hospice UK, who penned an exclusive piece for the NHE magazine detailing the importance of sustainable funding for the hospice sector.
Heidi Travis, CEO at Sue Ryder, also signed the letter – Travis has since been replaced in the role by NHS England’s former palliative care director, James Sanderson.
In the latest edition of our magazine, Sanderson asked, ‘Do you care about how well you die?’. Read his exclusive account of the future of the sector here.
Image credit: iStock
