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Palliative Care Law Bid Questioned

The Health and Sport Committee has considered the Palliative Care (Scotland) Bill, which proposes specific statutory duties on the provision of such care. The majority of committee members have agreed in the Stage One report that the general principles of the Bill should not be recommended to Parliament.

The committee felt that progress on the Living and Dying Well action plan was such that legislation was not required to ensure delivery of the aims and objectives.

Christine Grahame MSP has stated that despite the committee not recommending legislation:

"The Bill has sparked a very important debate about the future of palliative care in Scotland."

"We expect the Scottish Government to build on progress already being made through its existing Living and Dying Well action plan for palliative care and have asked for indicators to be established by March 2011 to allow its impact to be assessed."