Terminally ill people in Scotland are not getting access to the right care when they need it, according to cancer care charity Marie Curie.

Terminally ill people in Scotland are not getting access to the right care when they need it, according to cancer care charity Marie Curie.

A survey of 1,000 doctors across the UK reveals that less than half of GPs in Scotland believe terminally ill patients receive adequate access to care at night and at weekends.

It is vital that healthcare professionals are available to terminally ill people around the clock - Richard Meade

Around the clock care is also highlighted in a seperate report published by the charity with families having to chase after prescriptions, nurses waiting hours for vital drugs to arrive, and locums unable to prescribe.

The survey of GPs found a third of doctors in Scotland believe their terminally ill patients do not get adequate access to specialist palliative care nursing.

Of those, nearly nine out of 10 said more training and support about pain control in palliative care would make a difference.

Richard Meade, head of policy and public affairs for Marie Curie in Scotland, said: “Everyone is telling us – from GPs, families and carers – that more needs to be done to improve access to specialist palliative care and pain control at home.

“We know that effective pain management at home is an important factor that influences whether someone has a good death, and we only have one chance to get it right.

“Terminally ill people and their families in Scotland need timely access to care and pain relief around the clock. At the moment two thirds of this time is considered to be out of hours by the healthcare system.

“With only 17 per cent of terminally people at home having their pain relieved completely, it is vital that healthcare professionals are available to terminally ill people around the clock and that they are equipped to provide pain relief.”