Care for terminally ill patients to be improved

The Welsh Government is publishing its plan to improve end-of-life care in Wales.

The plans stress the need for combining compassion with high-quality care, and improve inequalities in end-of-life care up to 2016.

Key aims set out in the plan include:

• Providing 24/7 support to all people entering the terminal phase of their illness and ensuring pain and symptoms are controlled

• Access to appropriate support and symptom control must be the same wherever a person dies - at home, in hospital, in a care home or a hospice

• The terminally ill patients who wish to be cared for, and to die at home, should be supported in their decision

The Welsh Government consultation plan 'Together for Health - Delivering End of Life Care', sets out the requirements of the NHS in Wales and explains how success will be measured.

The plan is now subject to a 12-week consultation period.

In March last year, the Health Minister was given a report which covered the progress made to palliative and end-of-life care over the past three years.

The report by Professor the Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, Chair of the Palliative Care Cymru Implementation Board, also highlighted where improvements still needed to be made.