In Scotland today, thousands of people are facing their final days in pain, distress, and uncertainty. Not because we lack compassion, expertise or dedication in our health and care systems, but because we have failed to guarantee something fundamental: access to good palliative care when it is needed most.

The numbers are stark. Each year, around 18,500 people in Scotland die with significant unmet palliative care needs, without adequate support from GPs or specialist services. So over the course of this Scottish Parliament, around 92,500 people could miss out on the care and support they desperately need – and are entitled to – at the end of life.

There is only one chance to have a good end of life; behind each figure is a human being – a parent, partner or friend, with a family left to cope alone when they should have been supported in one of life’s most difficult times.

In some towns and cities across Scotland, there are aspects of a compassionate healthcare system in place. But it’s not enough. When nearly one in three people are dying without their basic palliative care needs being met, we have to confront the uncomfortable truth: this is a system that is not working for too many people at the point they need it most.

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Palliative care is not just about the final hours or days of life. It is about helping people live as well as possible........

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