Why we must come together to demand action on unmet palliative care needs

• Written by: Mona Vaghefian — Marie Curie — Senior Policy Manager, Scotland
• Published: 17th February 2026

By standing together, we can help ensure that everyone in Scotland has access to the compassionate, high quality palliative care.

New analysis from Marie Curie shows that almost one in three people in Scotland spend their final days in pain, distress or without the vital support that should be available to everyone at the end of life.

That amounts to 18,500 people in Scotland each year who die with both significant levels of unaddressed symptoms or concerns and inadequate access to sufficient care from GP services. Without urgent action, this figure is projected to rise by 14% by 2050 compared to 2025.

It’s a stark picture, based on the clearest data we have. The research uses a new methodology—the first major update in over a decade—developed by the University of Edinburgh, King’s College London and Hull York Medical School.

The approach established a new definition of unmet need for palliative care that combines measures of unaddressed symptoms with insufficient access to GP support.

While previous estimates suggested unmet need for palliative care affected around one in four people, these new figures are not directly comparable as a trend due to differing methodologies. Instead, the new analysis is Scotland’s most accurate measure of unmet need for palliative care to date – providing a fresh baseline for improving end-of-life care across Scotland.

Why should we be concerned? Unmet palliative care need results in poorer physical and mental health, increased financial pressures for families and carers, and avoidable strain on Scotland’s health and social care services.

Scotland’s ageing population and rising numbers of people living with multiple serious illnesses mean that, without investment and reform, the gap between what people need and what the system can provide will continue to widen.

For Marie Curie Scotland, the message is clear: we need a national commitment to ensure everyone – regardless of age, diagnosis or postcode – can access timely, person centred palliative care. That’s why the charity is calling on the next Scottish Government to legislate for a Right to Palliative Care. Creating a legal right wouldn’t just set out what people should expect; it would help drive the investment and reform needed to close the gap in unmet need.

To help achieve that ambition, we need consistent Minimum Service Standards so that people don’t face a postcode lottery for access to the right care in their final months.

Community based approaches are key in palliative care – helping people remain at home for longer, reducing unnecessary hospital admissions, and easing pressure on acute services. To facilitate this, staff working across community health and social care should have access to palliative care training, giving them the confidence and skills to support people at end of life. And a national palliative care advice line through NHS 24 would give people and professionals quick access to expert guidance, no matter where they live or when they need it.

Finally, independent hospices – who play a critical role in providing specialist care – need fair funding and pay parity to remain sustainable into the future.

Ultimately, the new research confirms what families and frontline professionals have been saying for years: too many people still die without the support they urgently need. Scotland now has the evidence to act.

ALLIANCE members have a powerful role in driving change. You can:

• Share these findings across your networks, communities and partner organisations.
• Advocate for a legislated Right to Palliative Care in your own engagement with policymakers – you can read Marie Curie’s manifesto here.
• Sign and share our petition calling on the next Scottish Government to act.
• Contact Senior Policy Manager Mona Vaghefian (Mona.Vaghefian@mariecurie.org.uk) to find out more about how you can get involved in the Right to Palliative Care campaign in the coming months and beyond.

By standing together, we can help ensure that everyone in Scotland has access to the compassionate, high quality care they deserve at the end of life.

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