Letter to the Scottish Government on Palliative and End-of-Life Care (Feb 2025)

I have written to the Minister for Public Health. In my letter, my themes include:

* How the Scottish Government works in partnership with the hospice sector

* Entrenching an explicit right to palliative care in statute.

You can read my full letter here

And, the reply from the minster here

Cross Party Group on Palliative Care (Feb 2025)

The Cross Party Group on Palliative held an Assisted Dying Event on Wednesday 19 February.

The meeting looked at the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill and how it relates to palliative care. The meeting heard from:

• Dr Libby Ferguson - Medical Director for Marie Curie Scotland and Consultant in Palliative in NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
• Mark Hazelwood - Chief Executive, Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care
• Dr Fiona MacCormick - Consultant in Palliative Medicine, Scotland Representative for the Association for Palliative Medicine
• Dr Chris Provan - GP and Chair, Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland
• Aileen Morton - Senior Policy & Public Affairs Officer (Scotland),  Hospice UK

Marie Curie Daffodil reception (March 2025)

I will be hosting the Marie Curie Daffodil reception in the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday 19 March 2025.

The event marks the Great Daffodil Appeal. The event in the Garden Lobby event will provide the opportunity for MSPs hear from Marie Curie Chief Executive Matthew Reed and from a family member of one of the many patients recently supported by Marie Curie Scotland.

The reception will also provide an opportunity to learn more about the work of Marie Curie Scotland’s mission to make sure that no one faces dying, death and bereavement alone in Scotland – and celebrate the work of Marie Curie clinicians, staff and volunteers from across Scotland who deliver care, information and support to people at the end of life and their loved ones.