§ 2. Ms Hazel Blears (Salford)What steps he is taking to ensure that appropriate care is available to terminally ill patients admitted to general hospitals. [92585]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Yvette Cooper)All terminally ill patients should receive appropriate and sensitive palliative care whether in hospitals or other settings. To support that, in June 1998 the Department of Health distributed throughout the national health service three documents on good practice in palliative care, produced by the National Council for Hospice and Specialist Palliative Care Services. Copies are available in the Library, and one of which covers "Palliative Care in the Hospital Setting."
§ Ms BlearsI welcome my hon. Friend to her position on the Front Bench. In her public health role, she has one of the most important jobs in government. I look forward to working with her to tackle health inequalities in deprived communities such as mine, and I thank her for the reply to my question.
I understand that the Department is aware of the sad case of Mrs. Carol Green from Salford, who in March last year died in Hope hospital having been admitted as a terminally ill patient. Her husband, Mr. Green, was forced 239 to watch her in pain, agony and distress during her final hours. Mr. Green and I are pressing the Department to ensure that district general hospitals provide the same pain relief, nursing and supportive care as hospices. Often patients are admitted when they are already dying, and it is too late for them to go to a hospice. Those patients are entitled to the same dignity and care that they would have in a hospice, and I ask the Department to look into the matter seriously.
§ Yvette CooperI thank my hon. Friend for her kind remarks, and offer my sympathy to Mr. Green following the death of his wife. I am aware of the case, and I know that my hon. Friend has been pursuing it locally. I hope that it can be speedily resolved.
Everyone should have access to sensitive care, whatever the setting. Guidance on caring for people during the last days of their lives is now available in the national health service. In addition, strategies for high-quality palliative care should be part of local health improvement programmes. I am aware that a significant number of health authorities do not yet have such programmes and strategies for improving palliative care; they must have such programmes, so that realistic funding for palliative care is secured and the quality of services is maintained.
§ Mrs. Marion Roe (Broxbourne)I congratulate the Minister on her promotion. Will she take this opportunity not only to recognise fully the work of the voluntary hospice movement and its tremendous contribution to care for the terminally ill, but to say whether she is aware that NHS Executive advice on service agreements with voluntary hospices is still not being followed in two thirds of cases? Will she tell us what action she is prepared to take to ensure that that is put right?
§ Yvette CooperI shall certainly look into the points that the hon. Lady has made. I take this opportunity to recognise the superb work of the voluntary sector. One of the things that the Government have done is to set up a cancer care action group, bringing together a range of voluntary organisations, the NHS and the Department of Health to consider issues relating to palliative care—particularly in the field of cancer—and to draw on the voluntary expertise throughout the country.