Palliative Care Matters for All: palliative care strategy 2025 to 2030

Strategy Development

This strategy was developed with a Strategy Steering Group (SSG) chaired by a National Clinical Lead for Palliative Care and supported by a Clinical and Professional Advisory Group (CPAG) and six working groups. Wider engagement involved key stakeholders, including Health Boards, Health and Social Care Partnerships, primary care, care homes, unscheduled care services, hospital services, and third sector organisations.

Strategy development was informed by evidence set out in four additional papers.

• Lived Experience and Public Views: research with adults, children, and their families and carers from a wide range of backgrounds and circumstances, about their experiences and understandings of palliative care.^[1]
• HIS Gathering Views: a public consultation delivered by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) asking people across Scotland, including rural and island communities, to talk about their understanding and experiences of palliative care.^[2]
• Population Data and Research: data on current and future Scottish population palliative care needs for adults and children.^[3] By 2040, the total number of people dying with palliative care needs is projected to rise by at least 12% with the greatest increase in people aged 85 or over.
• Service Mapping Survey: surveys of palliative care delivery across Scotland^[4] followed by consultation and engagement meetings with service providers to discuss palliative care in the community, urgent palliative care and palliative care in acute hospitals.

A draft strategy was published on 02 October 2024. Responses to the public consultation are summarised in the consultation report and inform the final strategy and the initial delivery plan (2025-28).