Local MP on 'care for the dying' fact-finding mission

19.11.04

Care for the dying in Kingston is being put under the spotlight by local Liberal Democrat MP Edward Davey.

Having recently signed an Early Day Motion in support of Marie Curie Cancer Care's Supporting the Choice to Die at Home campaign, Edward Davey is now working with the Kingston Primary Care Trust to find out more about the services and choices available locally to the terminally ill and their families.

He aims to find out what services are currently in place for the terminally ill, how services affect choice of place of death at present, and information about the number of terminally ill patients cared for over the past year, where they died, and organisations who supported their care.

Commenting, Edward Davey MP said,

"The issue of choice over one's place of death is one of the major challenges of our healthcare system today because in many situations terminally ill patients are given no choice at all.

"Research by the Marie Curie Cancer Care organisation has shown that most people in the UK would want to be cared for at home if facing a terminal illness, with a significant minority opting for hospice care.

"Nationally, however, more than half of all cancer patients currently die in hospitals, which is generally the last place where they would like to spend their final days.

"I support efforts to ensure that all terminally ill patients are given the option and resources to choose their place of death and hope that my efforts with the Kingston Primary Care Trust will help to secure this right."