Palliative care and assisted dying

Author: Kathleen Robson

PDF Published: Thursday 16 Oct 2025 (SB 25-51)

Expand
Overview
Report

Hide

Hide

Overview
Report
- Summary
- Introduction
- Palliative care need in Scotland
- Scottish legislation and policy
- Service Provision
- Expenditure
- Palliative care and assisted dying
  - Palliative care as a driver to assisted dying
    
    Assisted dying applicants in receipt of palliative care
    
    Reasons underpinning requests for assisted dying
  - The effect of assisted dying on palliative care
    
    Effect on funding and service provision
    
    Effect on individual care quality
  - Palliative care laws alongside changes to assisted dying laws
Sources

World Health Organisation. (2025). Palliative Care. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/palliative-care [accessed 16 September 2025]

Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care. (2024, August 16). SPPC Submission to Parliament on the Assisted Dying Bill. Retrieved from https://www.palliativecarescotland.org.uk/news/news/sppc-submissions-to-parliament-on-the-assisted-dying-bill/ [accessed 16 September 2025]

Scottish Government. (2024, October 2). Palliative care strategy - population data and research: overview. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/palliative-care-strategy-population-data-research-additional-paper/

National Records of Scotland. (2025, August 26). Vital Events Reference Tables 2024. Retrieved from https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/publications/vital-events-reference-tables-2024/

Healthcare Improvement Scotland. (2025). Scottish Palliative Care Guidelines: Symptom Management. Retrieved from https://rightdecisions.scot.nhs.uk/scottish-palliative-care-guidelines/symptom-management/

Marie Curie. (2019). Palliative Care Debate: Still Missing Out. Retrieved from https://warmup.mariecurie.org.uk/globalassets/media/documents/policy/briefings-consultations/scotland-briefings/marie-curie-briefing-gda-2019-all-collated.pdf

Dixon, J., King, D., Matosevic, T., Clark, M., & Knapp, M. (2015). Equity in the Provision of Palliative Care in the UK: Review of Evidence. Retrieved from https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/globalassets/media/documents/policy/campaigns/equity-palliative-care-uk-report-full-lse.pdf

Scottish Parliament - Health and Sport Committee. (2015). 15th Report, 2015 (Session 4): We need to talk about palliative care. Retrieved from https://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/20240327025404/https://archive2021.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/94230.aspx#dd

Scottish Government. (2025, September 10). Palliative Care Matters for All: Palliative care strategy 2025-2030. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/palliative-care-matters-palliative-care-strategy-202530/

Scottish Government. (2015, December 18). Palliative and end of life care: strategic framework for action. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/strategic-framework-action-palliative-end-life-care/

Scottish GOvernment. (2025, September 10). Palliative Care Matters for All: palliative care strategy - initial delivery plan 2025-2028. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/palliative-care-matters-palliative-care-strategy-initial-delivery-plan-2025-28/

Public Health Scotland. (2025, October 7). Percentage of end of life spent at home or in a community setting Financial years ending 31 March 2016 to 2025. Retrieved from https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/percentage-of-end-of-life-spent-at-home-or-in-a-community-setting/percentage-of-end-of-life-spent-at-home-or-in-a-community-setting-financial-years-ending-31-march-2016-to-2025/

Scottish Government. (2024, October 2). Palliative care strategy - service mapping survey: main findings report. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/palliative-care-strategy-service-mapping-survey-additional-paper/

Audit Scotland. (2008). Review of palliative care services in Scotland. Retrieved from https://audit.scot/docs/health/2008/nr_080821_palliative_care.pdf [accessed 15 October 2024]

Cummins, L., Julian, S., Georghiou, T., Kumar, G., & Scobie, S. (2025, February). Public expenditure in the last year of life: Research Report. Retrieved from https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/sites/default/files/2025-02/Public_expenditure_in_the_last%20year_of_life_finalreport.pdf

Hughes-Hallet, T., Craft, A., & Davies, C. (2011). Funding the Right Care and Support for Everyone: Creating a Fair and Transparent Funding System; the Final Report of the Palliative Care Funding Review. Retrieved from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7c7a74e5274a559005a245/dh_133105.pdf

Clarke, G., May, P., Cook, A., Mitchell, S., Walshe, C., Bajwah, S., … Murtagh, F. (2025, March 17). Costs and cost-effectiveness of adult palliative and end-of-life care Evidence briefing: Summary. Retrieved from https://www.kcl.ac.uk/nmpc/assets/research/costs-and-cost-effectiveness-of-adult-palliative-and-end-of-life-care-evidence-briefing-summary.pdf

Scottish Parliament. (2024, March 27). Assisted Dying for Terminally Adults (Scotland) Bill - As Introduced. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/legislation/bills/s6-bills/assisted-dying-for-terminally-ill-adults-scotland-bill/introduction/bill-as-introduced.pdf

Scottish Parliament - Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. (2025, April 30). Stage 1 report: Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill. Retrieved from https://bprcdn.parliament.scot/published/HSCS/2025/4/30/e2b81df7-8d06-4c77-a035-789f84593cc8/HSCSS062025R02.pdf

Go Gentle Australia. (2025, August 26). State of VAD: Voluntary Assisted Dying in Australia and New Zealand. Retrieved from https://assets.nationbuilder.com/gogentleaustralia/pages/5319/attachments/original/1756170132/GGA_StateOfVAD_2024Updates_V7_DIGITAL.pdf?1756170132

Victoria State Government: Department of Health. (2024, October). Review of the Operation of Victoria’s Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017. Retrieved from https://www.health.vic.gov.au/voluntary-assisted-dying/five-year-review

Health New Zealand. (2025, February 28). Assisted Dying Service: Annual Service Report 2024. Retrieved from https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/publications/assisted-dying-service-annual-service-report-2024

Health Canada. (2024, December 11). Fifth Annual Report on Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada, 2023. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/health-system-services/annual-report-medical-assistance-dying-2023.html

Oregon Health Authority. (2025). Oregon Death with Dignity Act: Data Summary 2024. Retrieved from https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/PROVIDERPARTNERRESOURCES/EVALUATIONRESEARCH/DEATHWITHDIGNITYACT/Documents/year27.pdf

California Department of Public Health. (2025). California End of Life Option Act 2024 Data Report. Retrieved from https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/CDPH%20Document%20Library/CDPH_End_of_Life_Option_Act_Report_2024.pdf

Medical aid in dying report 2024. (2025). Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/file/d/1S3yC6qkS15rywRVUhV_J6CuD3202k2nZ/view

Washington State Department of Health. (2024, November). Report to the Legislature: 2023 Death with Dignity. Retrieved from https://doh.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2025-01/422-109-DeathWithDignityAct2023.pdf

Michael, N., Jones, D., Kernick, L., & Kissane, D. (2024). Does voluntary assisted dying impact quality palliative care? A retrospective mixed-method study. MJ Supportive & Palliative Care. doi: 10.1136/spcare-2024-004946

House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee. (2024, February 29). Assisted Dying/Assisted Suicide. Retrieved from https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmhealth/321/report.html

Scobie, S., Hutchings, R., Davies, M., Kumpunen, S., & Reid, S. (2025, August). Assisted dying in practice: International experiences and implications for health and social care. Retrieved from https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/sites/default/files/2025-09/Nuffield%20Trust%20Assisted%20dying%20in%20practice_WEB-update.pdf

House of Commons Public Bill Committee. (2025, February 3). Written evidence, submitted by Professor Katherine Sleeman, King’s College London (TIAB52). Retrieved from https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cmpublic/TerminallyIllAdults/memo/TIAB52.htm#:~:text=Fewer%20than%20half%20of%20people,assisted%20dying%20on%20palliative%20care

National Assembly for France. (2025, April 11). Report on the bill by Ms Annie Vidal relating to palliative and supportive care (1102), no. 1281. Retrieved from https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/dyn/17/rapports/cion-soc/l17b1281_rapport-fond

Bundesministerium für Gesundheit. (2015). Hospiz- und Palliativgesetz. Retrieved from https://www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de/service/gesetze-und-verordnungen/guv-18-lp/hospiz-und-palliativgesetz.html

Last Updated: 23/1 8:02pm

An error occured while loading, please try again in a few minutes.