Local district nurses will instead lead the service in four local authorities

A charity service providing overnight end-of-life care is to end next month after local contracts were stopped. 

Marie Curie nurses and healthcare assistants will no longer provide overnight 'hospice care at home' service from April 1 in some parts of the West of Scotland. 

Provision for overnight care in Inverclyde, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, and East Dunbartonshire, will transfer to local district nurses and healthcare workers. 

The charity's Marie Curie Hospice in Glasgow will be unaffected by the move, with free information support still available seven days a week. 

A consultation is now underway with affected staff ahead of the changes, with the charity urging those affected or unhappy with the decision to contact their MSPs. 

Libby Milton, associate director of strategic partnerships and services at Marie Curie Scotland, said: “All Marie Curie services across Scotland are commissioned with NHS health and social care partnerships (HSCPs).  

"The HSCPs have decided that Marie Curie’s hospice at home overnight care service in Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire and Inverclyde will end on March 31.

"From April, care will be delivered by the NHS district nursing teams. 

“Naturally, we are saddened and disappointed that we will not be a part of the direct care delivery team in these areas.

"We have played a key role in delivering overnight Hospice Care at Home and support to people across the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area for over 20 years.   

“Over this time, the way care is delivered within community nursing services has changed significantly.

"We know how important it is for people to have access to high quality out-of-hours palliative care and we know our partners in the NHS appreciate this, too.

"We continue to work with partners across Greater Glasgow and Clyde to look at how services can be adapted and shaped to support care for people in the right place at the right time, and remain committed to the people of Glasgow and Clyde."