National charity’s campaign trail kicks off in Ilford

The UK’s leading end of life charity spoke to locals about what their hopes would be when they approach the end of their lives

The charity’s campaigners encouraged people to join them in their calls to local parliamentary candidates to pledge their commitment to making vital improvements to end of life care.

Currently, one in four people in the UK die without all the care and support they need.

Marie Curie Nurse, Lisa Roffey from London, who was attending today said: “Every day I see how important it is that people who are reaching the end of their lives get good care. That support is invaluable for people who are terminally ill, and for their loved ones. Sadly, we simply aren’t able to reach everyone and dying people are falling through the cracks. The next government must do more to fix this crisis.”

People also signed the charity’s petition, which will be delivered to the next Prime Minister after the election. It has over 28,000signaturesso far andcalls for the next government to ensure dying people have 24/7 access to the care they need to stop them dying with avoidable pain and unmanaged symptoms.

The charity invited local candidates in Ilford North to meet with them to discuss the need to prioritise palliative and end of life care. On the day they spoke to Wes Streeting from Labour, Kaz Rizvi from the Conservatives, Alex Wilson from Reform UK, Rachel Collinson from the Green Party and representatives from the Liberal Democrat candidate Fraser Coppin’s team.

Sarah Middlemiss, Campaigns Manager, at Marie Curie said: “It was great to see so many people joining us in Ilford today to show their support for Marie Curie’s campaign, which is calling on the next government to fix end of life care. Today, the public told us that they want to feel understood, cared for and supported at the end of their lives.

"Those things shouldn’t be a hope, they should be a guarantee. But we know that some people are dying with avoidable pain and with other distressing symptoms because access to care across the capital, and the country, simply isn’t equal.”

“Successive governments have failed to make end of life care fair. And because of our ageing population, we have reached a flashpoint. During the next parliament, over three million people will have died and nearly all of them will need palliative care. If nothing changes, many will miss out. It’s time to fix end of life care. Dying people don’t have time to wait.”