With demand for such care continuing to rise as the population ages, the MP highlighted that 1 in 4 people in Northern Ireland around 4,300 annually still miss out on the palliative care they need, often during their most vulnerable time.

Speaking after the meeting, Carla Lockhart MP said:

“As our population grows older, the need for compassionate, well-planned palliative and end of life care becomes more critical than ever. It is simply unacceptable that one in four people in Northern Ireland still miss out on the care they need in their final days.

In the meeting with Minister Nesbitt and Marie Curie, I made clear that a new, fully resourced Palliative Care Strategy is long overdue. We must treat independent hospices as core health services, not as add-ons, and urgently reform the funding model so that charitable donations are not the backbone of such a critical part of our healthcare system.

We also pressed for the appointment of a dedicated clinical lead for palliative care within the Department and stressed that hospices must be properly represented in all health reform discussions and winter pressure planning. Their voice must be at the table, not on the sidelines.

I further took the opportunity to restate my firm opposition to the Assisted Dying Bill currently being debated at Westminster. While Marie Curie takes a neutral stance, I believe strongly that our focus must be on improving and investing in the services we already have, not creating a state-funded assisted suicide framework. Compassion means delivering excellent care not offering an early end to life.

I want to pay tribute to Marie Curie and all of our local hospice teams for the incredible care they provide, often in the face of immense pressure and without the full support or recognition they deserve. Their work changes lives and brings dignity, comfort, and peace in the hardest of times.

I will continue to work closely with the Department of Health, Marie Curie, and other key stakeholders to make sure this issue stays a priority and that meaningful, lasting change is delivered for those facing terminal illness.”

Carla Lockhart MP is encouraging individuals and families who have experienced palliative care, good or bad, to share their views to help shape the path forward:  carlalockhartmp.office@parliament.uk