MANY of your readers may have lost a loved one or cared for someone living with a terminal illness.

Marie Curie has been most closely associated with caring for people with terminal cancer, but as the UK’s leading terminal illness charity we know that people with other diseases need the care and support provided by Marie Curie and other palliative care specialists.

We have just published a report which suggests that people living with a terminal illness other than cancer, such as heart failure, COPD, dementia, end stage liver disease and motor neurone disease, as well as conditions such as Parkinson’s and acute stroke, are less likely to be offered or have access to palliative and end of life care services. Yet this could make a real difference, not only to them, but to their families and carers.

Many patients are missing out on the opportunity to get the care and support they need, simply because health professionals don’t know who is responsible for providing this care and who could benefit. We want that to change.

We have written to medical and nurse directors across the UK asking them to do three simple things to improve care and support for patients and their families affected by terminal illness:

1. Make certain that all medical and nursing staff know how to contact palliative care teams

2. Ensure that information on palliative care is widely available

3. Increase access to palliative care for all those who could benefit. This includes people with all terminal illnesses, as well as people with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and strokes.

If your readers would like to help Marie Curie spread this message across Wales I would encourage them to visit mariecurie.org.uk/change.

Andrew Wilson-Mouasher

Divisional general manager, Wales

Marie Curie