Meeting of the Parliament 21 December 2023
I join my colleagues in congratulating Marie Curie on its 75th anniversary. I am grateful to Bob Doris for raising that important milestone in a members’ business debate.
Death is a part of life, and it is important that the fairness, equality and dignity that we aim to provide in life are extended to those who are approaching death. Marie Curie’s work over the past 75 years has made that a reality for many.
In its capacity at the front line, Marie Curie has offered crucial insight into the needs and challenges of those it cares for. I support its calls for more research to better understand the rise in demand that we face. Scotland’s population is ageing and the proportion is higher in rural and island communities, so a disproportionately large amount of future palliative care is likely to be required in those areas. However, research that was published in The BMJ found that terminally ill patients who live in rural and remote areas are at significant risk of being hidden and forgotten. I would like to see further research into the challenges that they face.
Marie Curie highlights the four As—availability, accessibility, accommodation and affordability. Availability of resources—from specialist teams and social care workers to equipment and technology—is more limited. Accessibility challenges abound because of the lack of public transport, the poor road conditions, the need for accessible vehicles and the long distances. Accommodating the needs of terminally ill people can be more difficult because of a lack of accessible housing. On affordability, being terminally ill costs an individual between £12,000 and £16,000 a year on average. That is compounded by the rural premium, which puts terminally ill people in rural communities at much greater risk of poverty.
Applying to rural settings policy that is designed in and for urban areas does not work. Research is much needed to better understand how we can overcome those challenges. Thank you to Marie Curie for all the research that it has done over the years, which has been of extremely high quality.
I was pleased to sponsor the exhibition about the dying in the margins project and photographs from Marie Curie and the University of Glasgow. I am sure that members will all agree that that was a powerful piece of work. The loved ones of the participants who came to Parliament were generous with their time. They spoke to me about their loved ones participating in the exhibition and said that that was a legacy.
It is up to us to ensure that the legacy is one of change and improvement. I call on the Government to support more such research, to ensure that no one is forgotten or left behind and to ensure that demand is met. Finally, I wish you all a very merry Christmas.
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