Dear Ms Pascoe,
End of life care in Wales is at breaking point. Gaps in care and a system under severe pressure mean too many people are spending their final days isolated, in pain, and struggling to make ends meet. There is an urgent need for change. People living with a terminal illness and those close to them deserve better.
The Senedd election in May is a vital opportunity to ensure that Wales’ political parties prioritise palliative and end of life care.
That’s why I am supporting Marie Curie Cymru’s campaign.
We only get one chance to support people to have the best possible death, but our current system is stretched to breaking point. By the 2040s, 37,000 people in Wales will need palliative and end of life care each year. If our system can’t cope now, it stands little chance of meeting future needs!
To truly fix our end of life care system, we need to see action from people across the system, but that needs to start at the top with strong leadership from the incoming Welsh Government. We need to see our services sustainably funded, 24/7 access to care and support, and unpaid carers provided with the support they need.
A commitment to bold and radical actions by politicians can ensure that everyone in Wales has the best possible death.
I hope that as the election nears, all political parties will rise to this challenge and commit to taking the actions needed to transform end of life care in Wales.
Phil Lewis
LLANELLI
