All hospitals should have strategies for dealing with palliative, end-of-life care and bereavement - Health Committee

The report, End-of-Life and Palliative Care in Ireland, recommends that a designated person within each hospital should be given responsibility for implementation and compliance with these Standards and that the provision of single occupancy rooms for patients who are dying should be considered a priority.

Among the other 37 recommendations are:

•    The Department of Health could consider the possibility of legislatively underpinning the Quality Standards for End of Life Care as recommended by the NESC.

•    The development of a National Strategy on Palliative Care, End of Life and Bereavement could be considered a priority for the development of this sector of health policy and extend to non-health areas of public policy.

•    Such a strategy could form the major part of an overarching, interdepartmental End of Life and Bereavement strategy informed by public consultation, encompassing the wider financial, legal, social, cultural educational and administrative issues relating to end of life.

•    There are many competing demands placed on our health budget and support could be expressed for the proposal that the specialist palliative care budget be ring fenced for a minimum of five years to prevent an undermining of the services currently available and to protect future investment in the sector

•    The Government could be asked to address the regional disparities which exist in the provision and funding of specialist palliative care services in Ireland, to ensure that the needs of all those who require specialist palliative care services are met - whether it be in the home, in the community or in a specialised hospice. In particular to progress development of capital projects related to the provision of specialist palliative care in-patient units in the Midlands, North East and South East.

Committee Chairman, Jerry Buttimer TD said: “During October and November 2013 the Joint Committee met with a number of key stakeholders and experts, including those involved in delivering end of life and palliative care in hospices, hospitals, nursing homes and in the community. A public consultation process was also run which resulted in a large number of submissions being received.

We would like to recognise the significant work which has been done, particularly, by the voluntary sector, in developing and improving palliative and end of life care in Ireland. According to a 2010 Report from the Economist Intelligence Unit, which investigated the care services in 40 countries, Ireland rates very favourably, taking fourth position in overall ranking and fifth for quality of death. Ireland was also noted as one of the nations with the highest levels of public debate about end of life care. However, evidence presented to the Joint Committee at its hearings on this issue suggests that significant deficiencies exist in the provision of end of life and palliative care in Ireland, in particular, inequalities based solely on geographic location.

This report focuses on the most significant issues identified throughout the course of the Joint Committee’s deliberations and sets out the key facts and figures presented by stakeholders, and identifies a number of key issues upon which its bases its conclusions.”

Read the report here: http://bit.ly/1seDXFs

Media Enquiries to:

Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2

Committee Membership

Deputies: Jerry Buttimer (Chair), Catherine Byrne, Ciara Conway (Vice-Chair), Regina Doherty, Robert Dowds, Peter M Fitzpatrick, Seamus Healy, Billy Kelleher, Eamonn Maloney, Clare Daly, Sandra McLellan, Dan Neville, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin and Robert Troy

Senators: Colm Burke, John Crown, John Gilroy, Imelda Henry, Marc Mac Sharry and Jillian Van Turnhout