Bishop of Dudley calls for better funding for hospices

The Bishop of Dudley and Acting Bishop of Worcester have expressed concerns about hospice funding and his own discomfort with the ideas of assisted suicide.

Rt. Rev. Martin Gorick calls for well-funded end-of-life care as part of the debate on ensuring a dignified death.

He highlighted a lack of hospice funding as a major reason why individuals cannot have a ‘good’ death and are seeking alternative options.

He said: “Hospice beds are currently being closed across the West Midlands at a time when the need for them is greater than ever.

“Hospices provide the highest quality palliative care, as well as Hospice at Home, bereavement services and other community supports.

‘However, only 20 per cent of their costs are covered by the NHS. ​​How come? Why do we spend billions on health care yet expect the dying to find help through charity?

“In Worcester, St Richard’s Hospice is currently having to make staff redundant.

“The end result can only mean that fewer patients can benefit from their services, fewer people are helped to die well, and more pressure is placed on struggling GPs and hospitals.”

With the Assisted Dying Bill due to be passed by Parliament this week, the Bishop said he would like MPs to recognize that the path to a death with dignity lies in properly funding palliative care, investing in mental health care and delivering much-needed care . community support.

He said: “As I have reflected on my own experiences of dying, the views of medical experts and international evidence, I have become increasingly uncomfortable with the prospect of legalizing assisted suicide.

“While I deeply sympathize with those who fear a bad death, I believe a good death is possible without taking such a step.

“I remember as a young priest visiting a terminally ill man at his home. He suffered great pain and fear and asked to die.

“Two days later I came back and found he had been given a morphine driver.

Now that his pain was under control and good palliative (end-of-life) care was available, he sat happily talking to his wife and grandchildren. All talk of ending his life prematurely was gone.

“I support our Health Minister, Wes Streeting, who wants us to properly fund end-of-life care.

‘We already know how to help people die well.

“We don’t need parliament to pass a new law to help us do this. But we do need good financing.”