Marie Curie campaign heads to Bristol highlighting need to fix end of life care

The charity’s campaigners spoke to locals about what their hopes would be at the end of their lives and 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.

The charity also commissioned 25 pieces of reverse graffiti across Bristol this week promoting their campaign.

Marie Curie provides an overnight nursing care service in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire and last year provided 10,000 hours to 299 people with a terminal illness and their families.

According to research from the charity, in 2022, there were 3610 deaths in Bristol, leaving 18050 people bereaved. Of the 3610 people who died, Marie Curie estimates that 3250 would have had palliative care needs.

One in four people do not get all the support they need when they are dying. In Bristol, Marie Curie estimate that 810 people may have died last year without the end of life care they needed. Nobody should die in pain, in poverty or alone. And families should have somewhere they can turn for help.

Angela Maundrill, Senior Marie Curie Nurse, who lives in Weston Super Mare 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 can’t 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 nearly 44,000 signatures so far and calls 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 from across Bristol to meet with them to discuss the need to prioritise palliative and end of life care.

Sarah Middlemiss, Campaigns Manager, at Marie Curie said: “It was great to see so many people joining us at our Marie Curie Community Hub on Gloucester Road 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 Bristol, 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 reached a flashpoint. During the next parliament, over three million people die 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.”