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SPPC letter to the First Minister

Prompted by comments made on the issue of assisted dying, the SPPC has written a letter to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon asking her to consider two practical steps to improve palliative care in Scotland.

The SPPC will ask all MSPs to commit to the same two things as they consider the proposal to legalise assisted dying in Scotland:

Firstly, to ensure that people in Scotland have an explicit legal right to palliative and end of life care. The forthcoming Scottish Human Rights Bill provides a timely and appropriate vehicle for achieving this (and could make Scotland the first country in the world to enshrine such a right in domestic legislation).

In this context, 'palliative and end of life care' refers to care provided to people approaching the end of life across the health and social care system – in hospitals, care homes and at home – not just the specialist providers such as hospices and NHS specialist palliative care units which provide excellent care.

Secondly, SPPC is asking Nicola Sturgeon and all MSPs to support investment in palliative care. The forthcoming new Scottish Government national strategy for Palliative and End of Life Care provides a timely mechanism through which priorities for long overdue and necessary improvements can be identified and funding assigned.

The letter to Nicola Sturgeon is available here: SPPC Letter to the First Minister

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