Palliative Care Matters for All, published by the Scottish Government, is a five-year strategy produced in partnership with NHS Scotland, charities, health and social care professionals, and people with experience of palliative care services.
Measures include better integrating specialist palliative care into hospital and community services, improving public information about living with life-shortening conditions, death, dying and bereavement support community-led networks to help people talk openly about these issues and the launch of a new Scottish Palliative Care Learning Hub to strengthen training and education.
Healthcare professionals who are providing palliative care will be able to contact a new round-the-clock phone line for advice and support, helping to ensure the best possible care is provided.
The strategy is supported by a delivery plan for 2025–28. It highlights the changes needed to ensure everyone in Scotland can access timely, high-quality and compassionate care.
Jenni Minto, minister for public health and women's health, said: ‘This strategy is rooted in the voices of people with experience of palliative care, alongside the expertise of professionals, carers, and the third sector.
'Working in partnership, we hope to ensure that palliative care is compassionate, person-centred, and available to all who need it.'
Mark Hazelwood, chief executive of the Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care, said: ‘I hope that the new strategy will deliver a step change in understanding - that palliative care is not a niche activity but rather a major thread running through the current challenges and opportunities for Scotland's health and social care system.
‘There is a lot which can, with the right support, be improved. We look forward to working closely with Scottish Government and other partners to maximise the strategy's positive impact.'
Jacki Smart, chair of the Scottish Hospice Leadership Group, said: ‘This strategy rightly recognises the vital role of specialist and community-led palliative care, and we are encouraged to see commitments to improved training, public understanding, and better integration across settings.'
