Tag: palliative care

Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Bishop of London supports further safeguards

The Bishop of London spoke during a committee debate on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on 21st November 2025, supporting amendments aimed at introducing further safeguards and monitoring into the bill:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I will speak particularly in support of Amendments 181, 45 to 49, 58 and 222. It is a privilege to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Hollins, and the noble Lord, Lord Griffiths, whom I thank for sharing their personal stories. They are a reminder to us that this debate touches some of the deepest things within us, and not only should we be kind to each other but we ought also to be kind to ourselves.

I declare my interests as set out in the register, and particularly that I am vice-president of Exeter Hospice Care, chair of the UK Commission on Bereavement, and patron of AtaLoss. Your Lordships will know that, however many amendments there are to this Bill, I do not feel it will ever be safe. But I want to speak on this group because I believe that these amendments are at the heart of the issue of motivation. I remain concerned about the fact that there is currently no real, deep investigation of the motivation for assisted dying.

Continue reading “Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Bishop of London supports further safeguards”

Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Archbishop of York speaks at second reading, highlighting risks of legislation

The Archbishop of York spoke at the second reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on 19th September 2025, pointing out the need for better palliative care in the UK and the risks of implementing this legislation:

The Lord Archbishop of York: My Lords, it is an honour to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Hollins. I will of course speak for myself, but I also know that I represent views held by many faith leaders—not just Christian leaders—across our nation, with whom I have been in discussion and who have written to me.

Jesus teaches us that how we live our lives in relationship to others is vital for the health of our society and our own personal well-being. We belong with and for each other. The Bill is wrong because it ruptures relationships, serving one need but creating many others.

The noble Lord, Lord Baker, and several others in this important and moving debate gave the game away early on: no Government, he said, will be prepared to provide palliative and social care in the way it is needed, thus revealing that the Bill’s impact will be economic as well as social. Several speakers said there were too many safeguards; others, that provision for assisted dying ought to be expanded.

Continue reading “Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Archbishop of York speaks at second reading, highlighting risks of legislation”

Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Bishop of London opposes legislation and calls for comprehensive funding of palliative care system

The Bishop of London spoke at the second reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, opposing the bill and outlining the need for fully funded palliative and social care services in the UK:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, as the noble Lord, Lord Kamall, has already pointed out, we in this Chamber share the same goal: for people to die with dignity and compassion. They are critical concerns for those who, like me, believe that the Bill is deeply flawed. Noble Lords will know that I am a former government Chief Nursing Officer, and I chaired the UK Commission on Bereavement. As a nurse, a priest, a daughter and a granddaughter, I have had the privilege to be with many people as they die. Most people die well although, as we have heard and will continue to hear, that is not always the case. I have known people to experience some of the most valuable days of their life as it comes to an end, including those with terminal illnesses.

Continue reading “Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Bishop of London opposes legislation and calls for comprehensive funding of palliative care system”

Bishop of London emphasises more funding needed for hospices, palliative care and palliative care research

On 24th October 2024, the Bishop of London took part in a debate on state funding of hospices, emphasising that more funding is needed to prioritise and support hospices, palliative care and palliative care research:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I too thank the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, for introducing this debate. I declare my interests as outlined in register, particularly that I am patron of Hospiscare in Exeter.

I suspect there has never been a more important moment in time to discuss the funding of the hospice sector, which is facing extreme challenges. It is also important to remember that hospices deliver excellent care to a significant number of people who are dying well. However, according to Hospice UK, the sector is facing the worst financial crisis in more than 20 years.

Continue reading “Bishop of London emphasises more funding needed for hospices, palliative care and palliative care research”

Health and Care Bill: Bishop of London speaks in favour of amendments on palliative care

On 1st March 2022, the House of Lords debated amendments to the Health and Care Bill in the first day of the report stage. The Bishop of London spoke in favour of an amendment regarding palliative care, and urged that this care should be delivered with consistency:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I declare my interests in the register. I join in thanking the Government for having listened in Committee. I hope that this will make a difference not just to the lives of those whose lives are shorter but also their families, so it is very welcome. I pay tribute to the noble Baroness, Lady Finlay, but also to my friend, the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Carlisle, who put his name to Amendment 17.

Continue reading “Health and Care Bill: Bishop of London speaks in favour of amendments on palliative care”

Health and Care Bill: Bishop of Carlisle supports amendments requiring specialist palliative care services

On 18th January 2022, the House of Lords debated amendments to the Health and Care Bill. The Bishop of Carlisle spoke in the debate, supporting amendments tabled by Baroness Finlay of Llandaff that would require specialist palliative care units to be set up in the UK:

The Lord Bishop of Carlisle: My Lords, it is always a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Patel. I am pleased to give my wholehearted support to Amendment 47 and to Amendment 52, to which I have added my name, which compellingly requires the commissioning of specialist palliative care services in every part of England. Throughout my life and work I have often had the privilege of being present with families and communities, supporting people of all ages through the final chapter of their life, so I have seen at first hand the enormous difference that high-quality palliative care can make to their experience of dying, death and bereavement.

However, as the noble Baronesses, Lady Brinton and Lady Masham, pointed out, 90% of people might need such care, but as things stand at present only about half of them will receive it. What is more, it is all too often those in our most deprived communities who are dying without the help and dignity they deserve.

To that end, a compelling body of evidence has been provided by Marie Curie, the end-of-life charity, which has been mentioned several times already in this debate. Building on that evidence, this amendment will not only prevent many people with a terminal illness dying in pain but deliver significant cost savings to the NHS by reducing unnecessary hospital admissions.

Continue reading “Health and Care Bill: Bishop of Carlisle supports amendments requiring specialist palliative care services”

Health and Care Bill: Bishop of Carlisle welcomes legislation and highlights multifaceted aspects of care

On 7th December 2021, the House of Lords debated the Health and Care Bill in its second reading. The Bishop of Carlisle made a speech welcoming the bill and outlining the multiple aspects of care in need of attention going forwards:

The Lord Bishop of Carlisle: My Lords, this is a health and care Bill. I will address certain specific aspects of that care that deserve further attention.

First, on integrated care, like the noble Lord, Lord Kakkar, I welcome the clear desire for integration, collaboration and local flexibility, and the placing of integrated care systems on a statutory footing. But can the Minister assure us that, in ICBs and ICPs working together to ensure co-ordination in the design and delivery of integrated care, there will be an adequate focus on prevention rather than just cure, especially in mental health needs, not least among young people with learning disabilities?

Continue reading “Health and Care Bill: Bishop of Carlisle welcomes legislation and highlights multifaceted aspects of care”

Bishop of St Albans asks about increasing funding for hospice sector

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 5th January 2021:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked  Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to increase the funding that clinical commissioning groups provide to the charitable hospice sector.

Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about increasing funding for hospice sector”

Bishop of Coventry supports Bill to improve access to palliative care

On 14th June 2019 the House of Lords debated the Access to Palliative Care Bill [HL], a Private Member’s Bill introduced by Baroness Finlay of Llandaff. The Bishop of Coventry spoke in the debate, in support of the Bill.

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: My Lords, I declare an interest as a patron of Mary Ann Evans Hospice in Nuneaton.

One of the privileges of my calling has been to accompany people in the latter stages of their lives, visiting their bedsides, preparing them in soul and spirit for the next stage of their lives, and watching over their bodies when death has finally come for them. Through it all, I have tried to support their loved ones as they have travelled this hard road, all the time admiring the skills, diligence and compassion of nurses and medics in hospitals and hospices. I have seen that there is such a thing as a good, and even a beautiful, death.

Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry supports Bill to improve access to palliative care”

Bishop of Winchester asks if Ministers will meet those concerned about change to law on assisted suicide

On 23rd May 2019 Baroness Meacher asked the Government “what assessment they have made of whether the threat of prosecutions under the Suicide Act 1961 is causing suffering to mentally competent, terminally ill people at the end of their lives.” The Bishop of Winchester, Rt Revd Tim Dakin, asked a follow-up question:

Continue reading “Bishop of Winchester asks if Ministers will meet those concerned about change to law on assisted suicide”