Committee for Health - Access to Palliative Care Services
Background
The Committee for Health agreed to undertake an inquiry following concerns that the hospice sector was facing significant funding challenges and that not all Palliative and End of Life Care (PEOLC) services were available to patients, and their families and carers, across Northern Ireland.
The Committee was also aware that there had not been a Department of Health (DoH) strategy in place since the Living Matters Dying Matters (LMDM) Strategy in 2010.
The Committee was concerned that the healthcare system was failing to support patients at the most vulnerable time of their lives. Further, many individuals and families were facing long-term trauma caused by the difficulties they had experienced in trying to access services for their loved ones who had needed Palliative and End of Life Care.
What is palliative care?
Palliative care is an approach aimed at improving the quality of life for patients, both adults and children, as well as their families who are dealing with life-threatening illnesses. It works to prevent and relieve suffering through the early identification, proper assessment, and treatment of pain and other issues, whether physical, emotional, psychosocial, or spiritual.
Palliative care goes beyond managing physical symptoms; it takes a holistic team-based approach to support both patients and their caregivers. This includes addressing practical concerns and offering bereavement counselling. It provides a support system to help patients live as fully and actively as possible until the end of life.
Palliative care is recognized as part of the human right to health and should be delivered through person-centred, integrated health services that respect the unique needs and preferences of each individual at the time(s) when such care and support is needed.
Members visited a number of hospice sites across Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland to hear from staff and families, to assist their consideration of issues.
Lived Experience Forum
On 12 June 2025 the Committee held a Lived Experience Forum, to collect evidence from those with lived experience of accessing palliative care services.
Report
The Committee concluded its evidence gathering on 03 July 2025, and compiled this into a Report which was published on 02 December 2025.
Access to Palliative Care Services inquiry report can be found here.
The appendices of the inquiry Report can be found here.
