On Wednesday (February 3) Mark Isherwood MS will lead the Welsh Conservative debate on Support for Palliative Care during the Pandemic.
Welsh Conservative Mr Isherwood, who is Chair of the Cross Party Group (CPG) on Hospices and Palliative Care, said:
“This is of course a sensitive and emotive subject at all times, but the pandemic and lockdowns, now into their eleventh month, have made it all the more timely and, even if a difficult subject, an essential one to debate.”
Mr Isherwood, who also chairs the CPG on Cross-party Group on Funerals and Bereavement, said that the effect on the provision of palliative care during this unprecedented health crisis has been badly felt not just by those receiving care, but also their families, adding:
“The pandemic has seen a greater number of people requiring palliative care services, with research by Hospice UK showing that an additional 4,000 people in Wales will have needed palliative care services during the pandemic, which broadly equates to a 16 percent increase in demand in comparison with the previous year. Data from Macmillan Cancer Support indicates that between March and September 2020, England and Wales saw the number of people dying at home increase by a third compared to pre-pandemic levels, with most of these deaths unrelated to coronavirus. This puts additional pressure on families at an already terribly difficult time.
“And so, we are calling on the Welsh Government to significantly increase financial support for cross-sector palliative care and bereavement support services in the next financial year to meet the increased, and more complex needs, arising from the pandemic, because patients with long-term and terminal illnesses must be allowed access to the care they and their families want.
“However, our focus, too, is on those providing end-of-life care. The Royal College of Nursing has warned that nurses are exhausted, stressed, and near burnout due to the pandemic and the additional pressure of providing end of life care.
“Our doctors and nurses must be given a proper support network to help with post-traumatic stress and their emotional wellbeing so that they can continue to provide the exceptional levels of care, in all senses of the word, they are known and respected for.”
In the debate, Welsh Conservatives will propose that the Welsh Parliament:
· Notes that the Office of National Statistics recorded 37,403 deaths in Wales in 2020.
· Acknowledges the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on those providing end-of-life care and those who are terminally ill and their loved ones, particularly given coronavirus restrictions on visits to hospitals, hospices and care homes.
· Recognises the vital importance of high-quality palliative care and bereavement support services under such circumstances.
· Notes the Royal College of Nurses Wales's concerns regarding nurses being exhausted, stressed and near burnout due to the pandemic and the additional pressure of providing end-of-life care.
· Calls on the Welsh Government to:
o keep under review the guidance associated with visits to hospitals, hospices and care homes, so that families and operators are able to enable safe and compassionate contact during end-of-life care;
o ensure that those who are approaching the end of their lives, as well as their loved ones, have access to high-quality care and emotional support;
o significantly increase financial support for palliative care and bereavement support services in the next financial year to meet the increased, and more complex needs arising from the pandemic; and
o implement a long-term plan to support nurses and care staff to deal with post-traumatic stress and mental health issues caused by the increased requirement for palliative care.