Services not shaped around individuals, says Marie Curie

One in four Scots who have known a relative or close friend with a terminal illness said they did not get the care they needed.

This figure is so high, believes Marie Curie, because services are not always shaped around the needs of the individual.

The charity has carried out a survey which reveals that nearly one in three Scots (29%) are not confident that they would receive the high-quality care they need if they were diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Its research shows that nearly two thirds of people blame lack of health service funding and an increase in the number of people living with terminal conditions for the failings.

People also said they doubted Scotland's health and care system because of an increase in the number of people having more than one terminal condition and less availability of high quality care at home.

However, the survey results also show that Scots have more confidence in Scottish health and social care than they do in English healthcare – over half (54%) believe that they would get better quality care in Scotland than they would in England.

Susan Lowes, the charity’s policy manager, said: “We continue to hear that terminally ill people don’t get the care they need or it comes too late. If care is not taking into account the person’s needs and their preferences then this could explain why.

“By involving patients and families in the decision that affect end of life care we can improve confidence, improve knowledge of all the options open to them, help avoid unnecessary treatment and reduce emergency emissions.

“That’s why we’ve created a new information resource called You Matter, which tells patients, families and health care professionals how to make person-centred care available to more people.”