Marie Curie UK

Sign the petition Nobody should die in poverty

We’re calling on the UK Government to act now.

Everyone living with a terminal illness should get the financial support they need to live comfortably until the very end.

Do you agree? Sign our petition 👇

campaigns.mariecurie.org.uk/page/159107/...

This is the awful experience Jayne went through when her son Chase was diagnosed with gastric cancer.

And sadly, Jayne is not alone.

Our new research shows 103,000 people died in poverty in the UK last year. It’s sad and shocking that this is happening to people in our communities.

You submit the forms but the DWP still say they need to do a home visit. A man that you’ve never met before *actually* comes to your house to check your son is dying. It’s so upsetting.

Your son dies two weeks later.

POV: Your son is diagnosed with terminal cancer and becomes too ill to work.

You apply for benefits, but there are lots of forms to fill in & it’s not clear which forms are the right forms. You try phoning the DWP for help but can’t get through.

Your son is dying. And the bills keep piling up.

Row after row of black chairs, laid out in a park. Above the photos of the chairs is text that reads 103,000 people died in poverty last year.

Every chair here represents someone who died in poverty in the UK.

It's heartbreaking this is happening. 💔

Sign the petition Nobody should die in poverty

We’re calling on the UK Government to act now and make sure all terminally ill people have enough income to live comfortably until the end.

You can join us. Sign the petition 👇

campaigns.mariecurie.org.uk/page/159107/...

🚨 BREAKING: 103,000 people died in poverty in the UK last year - that’s 281 people dying in poverty every day.

This is so wrong. Everyone should get the financial support they need to spend their final months, weeks and days in comfort.

✅ Paramedics should be given the resources & support they need to care for dying people.

That’s why we’re calling for reforms to improve ambulance-delivered palliative care across England, including training for all paramedics, enhanced digital patient record sharing and better access to medicines.

Screenshot of a BBC news article, with the headline 'End of life care demand challenging for paramedics'

❗Paramedics are often being left without access to patient information or medications when attending people nearing end of life who urgently need palliative care.

This is so wrong.

🚨🎉 GOOD NEWS: The UK Government has committed to introducing a national strategy for palliative and end of life care.

Minister of State for Care @skinnock.bsky.social outlines his plans. 👇

This is a crucial step towards fixing the gaps in palliative and end of life care. 🙌

Ask Wes Streeting to take action to fix end of life care It's time for a national strategy to fix end of life care

We’re urging the UK Government to act.

Join us and email Wes Streeting, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in just a couple of clicks 👉 campaigns.mariecurie.org.uk/page/179583/...

👉 The Assisted Dying Bill also passed in the House of Commons.

If assisted dying becomes legal and there’s no national strategy for palliative and end of life care in place, there’s a risk that people will feel they have no option but to turn to assisted dying if they can’t get the right care.

Too often, the level of care and support terminally ill people get depends on where they live, the condition they have and whether their local services have enough resource and capacity. 💔

❌ This is no way to run a vital service that we will all need one day.

Wes Streeting has big ambitions for the NHS.

But he has no plan to fix the gaps in palliative and end of life care.

❗ Dying people deserve better. We need a national strategy to improve palliative and end of life care – and we need it now.

Wherever and whenever you need support, our incredible nurses, healthcare assistants and Helpline team will be there for you. 💛

And even if people are receiving end of life care in a hospice, they might prefer to spend their final weeks and days at home anyway – as that’s where they feel most comfortable. 🏠

We can make this happen for people through our hospice care at home service.

Hospice is a type of care, not a type of building. 🧑‍⚕️

Hospice care is provided right across the UK, even in communities where there isn’t a physical hospice building nearby.

Our teams can provide the same expert care you would receive in a hospice – in your own home.

Here’s something nobody ever told you about hospices... 🤫

A lot of people think a hospice is a physical building – and you have to live near it to get support.

That isn’t necessarily true. 🧵

We hear from lots of people living with a terminal illness who are *very* worried about how they’ll manage their energy bills this winter.

Secretary of State for Energy Security Ed Miliband highlights some of the support the UK government has made available.

Hospice care looks after every part of you, so you can spend your final years, months and weeks in comfort, focussing on what matters most to you. 💛

Hospice care can include...

🧑‍⚕️ Expert care from nurses
💬 Counselling
🍏 Specialist nutrition
🧶 Social activities
🐶 and even cuddles from therapy dogs.

Hospice care is all about helping people with a terminal illness feel comfortable and supported – rather than being a cure.

It's about managing symptoms (which can include painkillers), but it’s also about emotional, spiritual and practical support.

Here’s something nobody ever told you about hospices... 👀🧵

A lot of people think hospice care is just painkillers and medical treatment.

❌ That couldn't be further from the truth.

The Labour Party made some positive steps towards improving palliative care during their first year in government.

But there is a long way to go.

❗ We now need to see a national strategy to fix end of life care

A selfie of the Marie Curie Policy and Public Affairs team at the Labour Party Conference. In the background, you can see parts of the Marie Curie conference stall, which show a nurse providing care for someone at home.

Our team were also at the conference to speak to politicians about how they can make sure people get the right care at the end of life.

🏠 Most people prefer to be cared for at home as that’s where they’re comfortable. But we also know many people struggle to access care in their community.

Wes Streeting explained more in his speech 👇

📝 In July the Government published its 10 Year Health Plan, which includes shifting care from hospitals to community.

This could be good news for people living with a terminal illness, but only if Labour delivers on its promise of integrating palliative care in new Neighbourhood Health Centres.

🚨 The Labour Party has been talking a lot about their plans to build an NHS fit for the future at the Labour party conference.

Here’s what that means for palliative and end of life care services. 🧵 👇 #Lab25

There was a lot of positive discussion at the Lib Dem conference.

But we now need to work together to see these words turn into action. 💪

✅ But we also put forward the solutions that could fix the gaps, including a transformation fund for end of life care, more investment in the workforce and local advice services in every community.