Stuart has called for urgent action to improve access to palliative and end of life care in rural areas like South Shropshire. It follows a new report from Hospice UK, which identifies huge disparities in access to palliative care in remote communities.
Their report, called 'Bringing Care Closer to Home', found that two-thirds of people in rural areas struggled to access the care they or their loved one needed.
Challenges to accessing services include long travel distances, inadequate transport links, and a shortage of health and social care staff.
The report also found that two thirds of health and social care staff reported an insufficient number of workers with the right skills to support those with life-limiting conditions including children and young people.
Stuart has repeatedly shown the disparities in accessing rural public services. in April, he called for a Young Cancer Patient Travel Fund.
This is based on evidence that patients from his constituency of South Shropshire must travel 45 miles to access specialist treatment in Birmingham.
This results in patient journey times exceeding an hour. That is much more than the national average despite the constituency having a cancer prevalence rate of 5.7%. It is above the regional average of 3.4% and national average of 3.5%.
As a result, many people are being forced to choose between home and care - with many more having to move hours away from family and friends to access support.
In April, Stuart welcomed £25 million for the hospice sector to upgrade facilities. This included £229,964 for Severn Hospice and £144,966 for Hope House Children's Hospice.
However, Stuart has voiced concerns about how April's hike on employer's National Insurance Contributions affects local care providers, including hospices.
In a letter to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Stuart has endorsed the Report's recommendations, which include funding a 24/7 helpline for palliative care support and support with transport costs.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
“Urgent action must be taken to improve access to palliative and end of life care in rural areas like South Shropshire. I have seen first-hand the pain of human suffering in my own family. Hospice UK has found that two-thirds of people in rural areas struggle to access the care they or their loved one needed. This throws a much-needed spotlight on the struggle to access palliative care in rural areas, including long travel distances, inadequate transport links, and a shortage of health and social care staff. I am pleased to endorse their recommendations, which include funding a 24/7 helpline for palliative care support and support with transport costs. I am determined to do everything that I can to improve this situation for residents in South Shropshire and ensure local services are properly funded.”
