Don't let the plan run out

Every year, thousands of people die in Wales having missed out on crucial palliative and end of life care. If the right care isn't in place for people at the end of life, it can have a devastating impact on both them and their loved ones.

The end of life care plan for Wales was working towards fixing this, but in March 2022 it was due to come to an end, and despite promises by the Welsh Government, there was no new plan ready to take its place.

Without a government strategy, more people could have missed out on the crucial care they need. But thanks to support from people like you, we sent a clear message to Welsh Government.

Together, we've kept end of life care on the agenda. We needed 250 signatures to guarantee a response, but almost 2,200 of you signed the petition calling on the government to make sure the right care is in place, and we met nearly half of all Members of the Senedd (MSs) to discuss the campaign.

And it worked!

• The Government published their new high-level vision for palliative and end of life care (with committments that a more detailed plan is on the way).
• We received an official response from the Minister in charge of Health and Social Services in Wales. 
• There has been a huge growth within the End of Life Care Programme team – one of the key asks of the petition. This will help us ensure that more dying people and their loved ones receive better care.

This is all great news, and the petition has achieved its purpose for now. However, our team will keep working to make sure that the final plan includes the right priorities to improve end of life care for everyone in Wales, and progress will be reviewed regularly, to keep Welsh Government in check.