24/06/25
At St Barnabas we hold the vision of a world where dying with dignity, compassion and having choices is a fundamental part of a life. We are committed to ensuring all individuals facing the end of their life in Lincolnshire receive dignified, compassionate care when they require it and where they ask for it.
On Friday 20th June 2025, the House of Commons approved a bill to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales. This is an emotive issue for many, and we will continue our discussions with openness and sensitivity, aligning with St Barnabas’ values. It is not the role of St Barnabas to either support or oppose a change in the law. If patients, families, supporters and our staff and volunteers hold views that differ on this issue, this will not impact the support St Barnabas Hospice will offer.
The debate about assisted dying has highlighted that the provision of palliative and end of life care services is not currently sufficient and that hospice funding is inadequate. This means not everyone is receiving the high quality or timely end of life care they deserve.
We remain committed to providing outstanding care and support to all our patients and their families and will continue to raise awareness of our services in Lincolnshire and openly encourage discussions about death and dying.
04/12/24
We fully agree with the sentiments expressed by Toby Porter of Hospice UK and Dr Cox of the APM and are pleased to see that Hospice care is receiving attention and support in Parliament. We echo the belief that the current state of palliative and end-of-life care in the UK is insufficient, and it is encouraging to see the recognition of this critical issue.
At this stage, while we cannot yet fully gauge the potential impact of the Assisted Dying Bill on Hospice care, we strongly believe that our immediate priority must be securing adequate funding to ensure the long-term sustainability of Hospice services. Without sufficient resources, hospices will be unable to meet the increasing demand for high-quality end-of-life care, which may place added pressure on patients, to turn to the Assisted Dying Bill, rather than accessing Hospice care.
The future of Hospice care depends on government action to ensure it is properly supported, both now and in the years to come.
It is essential that as this debate progresses, MPs remain engaged with the expertise of the Hospice sector, to ensure that any changes to the law do not compromise the support and care that hospices provide to individuals, and their families at the end of life.
We look forward to being part of those conversations as the bill moves through its stages and continue to advocate for the improvements needed in palliative care across the UK.