HC Deb 17 September 2004 vol 424 cc1963-4W
Mr. Laurence Robertson

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what his policy is on the practice of allowing terminally ill cancer patients to choose to die at home; [188962]

(2) what resources he is making available to treat terminally ill cancer patients who wish to die at home; [188963]

(3) what improvements he is making to information available to (a) carers, (b) healthcare professionals and (c) patients about the process of allowing terminally ill cancer patients to choose to die at home. [188964]

Miss Melanie Johnson

I refer the hon. Member to the Government's response to the Health Select Committee report on palliative care, copies of which are available in the Library.

This response reiterates our wish to offer all adult patients nearing the end of life, regardless of their diagnosis, the same access to high quality palliative care so that they can choose if they wish to die at home.

The End of Life Care Initiative commits the Department to invest £12 million over the next three years to train existing staff who already contribute to supportive and palliative care to provide end of life care and support to patients and carers This investment will enable those approaching the end of life to be identified, their care needs assessed, enable information about the choices available provided to them and a jointly agreed care plan involving all relevant agencies to be put in place.

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