I regularly receive “campaign emails” in relation to a variety of topics.
These emails are typically automatically generated. As such, I receive many hundreds if not thousands.
It is therefore not practical for me to respond personally to each of these.
Instead, I publish the response on my website. This can be found below.
Please be assured this policy only applies to automatically generated communications.
If you send me personalised correspondence, on this or any subject, then I will of course respond individually, and address any points raised.
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Thank you for writing to me concerning Marie Curie & end of life care.
Marie Curie’s insightful new report has highlighted several challenges that are facing people and families accessing palliative and end-of-life care across Wales.
Most of us will know of someone who has needed palliative care, and many of us will one day require it ourselves. It is essential that dignity and respect for people during their palliative and end of life care is made available to all.
In Wales we have an ageing population even greater than that of the rest of the United Kingdom, making the need for good palliative care all the more urgent. My Welsh Conservative colleagues and I are pleased that the Cross-Party Group on Hospice and Palliative Care in the Senedd, Chaired by our colleague Mark Isherwood MS, has taken important steps to address these concerns, including a significant report published last year which highlighted the considerable damage the Covid-19 pandemic had on the world of palliative care.
I also understand that demand for palliative care in the community is forecast to nearly double by 2040. This is one reason why it is critical that the Welsh Government takes further steps to support those going through palliative and end-of-life care to deliver on the stated goals of the Welsh Government’s Quality Statement in October 2022 which are that the care will be safe; timely; effective; person-centred; efficient and equitable. These are aspirations that the Welsh Government has thus far fallen short of, and we Welsh Conservatives will continue to push for greater steps to be taken so long as that is the case.
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In addition to this, in my capacity as a Member of the Senedd I have been fortunate to have many interactions with Marie Curie and look forward to further meetings in the future.
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I thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Kind regards,
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I’m one of your constituents, and a supporter of the end of life charity Marie Curie.
I’m writing to ask if you could please make time to meet the Marie Curie Cymru team to discuss the challenges people in Montgomeryshire/Maldwyn face when they’re at the end of life, or caring for someone who is?
I know talking about the end of life can be difficult, but it’s something that affects every single one of us. It really matters that we get it right.
And yet, the services people rely on when they’re dying or bereaved are stretched to their limits.
Marie Curie’s latest report shows just how bad things are in Wales. It says that almost half of people who died in hospital in Wales died alone, without any family or friends there. That a lack of community care is leaving terminally ill people with no option but to spend their precious time in and out of A&E. And that a shocking number of people die without actually knowing they might die because of their illness.
These problems are putting even more pressure on NHS Wales! Fixing end of life care and protecting the NHS go hand-in-hand.
You can read more here: https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mariecurie.org.uk%2Fbeol&data=05%7C02%7CRussell.George%40senedd.wales%7Cff2628f2ab064d045d4108dccdbbfa33%7C38dc5129340c45148a044e8ef2771564%7C0%7C0%7C638611454464147381%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=X9B2zJ96APzosyJr7jaYVnmrRmEZ%2BSSfSnWEPxKZ7gg%3D&reserved=0
I’d be very grateful if you could spare some time to discuss this research with Marie Curie, and find out what steps you can take to help them campaign for better palliative and end of life care for people in our community and across Wales.
You can contact Tomos Evans, Marie Curie’s Policy and Public Affairs Manager (Wales), at tomos.evans@mariecurie.org.uk to arrange a time that’s convenient to you.
I look forward to hearing about your discussion.