Liz McInnes calls for better end of life care and support for hospices

Liz McInnes, Labour Member of Parliament for Heywood and Middleton

Liz McInnes, MP Heywood and Middleton, has spoken in parliament to call for urgent action to improve end of life care and to praise the work of hospices, including Springhill Hospice in Rochdale.

In the debate, Ms McInnes highlighted the vital work hospices do to care for patients and provide support for their families, and to call for the government to look at the funding freezes and cuts that around two thirds of hospices have faced since 2014.

She said: "At the end of life people deserve dignity and compassion, with access to palliative care and support. Rather than being subject to a postcode lottery, consistent, high quality end of life care should be available to all. Sadly, many people who would benefit from palliative care do not receive any at all. The charity Macmillan estimate that 48,000 people in England have died with poor end of life care in the last year.

"Our hospices are a vital source of palliative care. My constituency is served by the excellent Springhilll Hospice in Rochdale, and for 70% of their running costs they rely on fundraising from the local community.

"I’m doing my bit by running the Manchester 10k on 22 May to raise money for Springhill, and I was delighted to be able to speak in parliament last week about the great work they do. Two thirds of hospices have had their funding frozen or cut since 2014. Unless urgent action is taken to address the funding cuts and to improve access to quality palliative care, the situation for patients can only get worse, not better."

Ms McInnes is running the Manchester 10k on May 22nd to raise money for Springhill Hospice. To sponsor her or for more information see www.justgiving.com/Liz-McInnes2