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Ageing and End-of-life Care 2025-10-30
30 October 2025
Lead MP
Jim Shannon
Debate Type
General Debate
Tags
Northern Ireland
Other Contributors: 15
At a Glance
Jim Shannon raised concerns about ageing and end-of-life care 2025-10-30 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
The debate addresses the challenges faced by the ageing population in Northern Ireland, focusing on palliative and end-of-life care. Jim Shannon highlights that according to Marie Curie, there will be a 32% rise in people requiring this type of care over the next 25 years, with a doubling of need for those aged over 85. He notes that approximately 60% of the cost of care delivered through the independent hospice sector in Northern Ireland is reliant on charity, which he considers unsustainable. Shannon calls for a new palliative care strategy for Northern Ireland and highlights significant statistics from Marie Curie, indicating that by 2050, the number of people needing such care will rise to over 745,000 every year.
Intervened to ask about consistency in palliative care across different regions and raised concerns similar to those mentioned by Together for Short Lives regarding children's palliative care.
Lee Pitcher
Lab
Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme
Asked Jim Shannon if he agreed that there is significant inequality in access to palliative care in rural areas with socioeconomic deprivation. He suggested the need for Government intervention to address this over the next 10 years.
Julie Minns
Lab
Carlisle
Discussed her own experience of seeking end-of-life care for a family member and proposed that families should be immediately informed about alternative community-based provision when someone is placed on end-of-life care in hospitals.
Anna Dixon
Lab
Shipley
Discusses the disparity in life expectancy between different socio-economic groups. Advocates for reform of end-of-life care to ensure better access for all demographics. Highlights examples of good practice, such as Bradford's REACT model and supports a national strategy for palliative and end-of-life care.
Dan Aldridge
Lab
Weston-super-Mare
Pays tribute to Weston Hospicecare and its impact on the community. Discusses the importance of compassionate, community-based care at the end of life. Emphasises the need for support to ensure the future sustainability of such services.
Epsom and Ewell
Maguire highlights the ageing population in Surrey and the critical need for better funding and services, including GP provision and social care. She cites Age UK data showing a 2.5% increase in full-time equivalent GPs between 2023-24 which is insufficient to meet growing demand from older populations. Maguire calls on the Government to commit to reversing cuts to public health funding, providing better end-of-life care services, and addressing issues such as loneliness and frailty.
Luke Evans
Con
Hinckley and Bosworth
Evans acknowledges the complex cultural challenges surrounding social care for an ageing population in Britain. He discusses the Government's removal of winter fuel payments, despite warnings that it would push thousands into poverty, contrasting this with Opposition policies aimed at enabling elderly homeowners to right-size their homes through stamp duty relief.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
The hon. Member raises concerns about the impact of increased National Insurance Contributions on hospices' financial sustainability, referencing a National Audit Office report which indicates that many independent adult hospices have reported service reductions or staff redundancies due to reduced income and increased costs.
Evans
Lab
Brent North
The hon. Member raises concerns about the lack of clarity on the legal duty for palliative care commissioning, the impact of NICs increases on hospices' finances, the need for a dedicated palliative care strategy to address rising demand and workforce issues.
The hon. Member highlights poor commissioning by ICBs as a contributing factor to problems in hospice care and raises questions about whether it is time to have a strategy dedicated to palliative care given the projected rise in demand.
Shipley
Called for a national strategy for end-of-life care and ageing, emphasising the need for comprehensive planning.
Carlisle
Shared her powerful story about her mother's experience in hospice care, highlighting the importance of such services.
Weston-super-Mare
Paid tribute to the hospice in Weston and its dedicated team, emphasising their role in holding the community together.
Epsom and Ewell
Discussed issues with the 111 service and highlighted the need for better end-of-life care in hospitals.
Sam Carling
Lab
North West Cambridgeshire
Expressed concern about coercion over medical decisions in older care settings, calling for measures to ensure patient autonomy.
Government Response
Responded by highlighting the Government’s commitment to improving end-of-life care through shifting more care out of hospitals and into communities. Discussed the £100 million fund for hospices, £26 million for children's hospices, and the importance of safeguarding against coercion in medical decisions.
Shadow Response
None
Shadow Response
Evans focuses on the cultural and policy challenges surrounding social care for an ageing population, touching on topics such as winter fuel payments, right-sizing homes through stamp duty relief, and the need for a clearer national strategy for palliative care. Critiqued cuts across all hospice services and raised concerns about funding impacts on voluntary sector organisations. Highlighted lessons from other countries, such as Japan, for end-of-life care.
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Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
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