Horsham MP secures action to improve Sussex palliative care
John Milne, Liberal Democrat MP for Horsham, has welcomed a commitment from the NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to expand 24/7 palliative care support to residents across Sussex, following his calls for action at the beginning of the year.
In January, the Horsham MP wrote to Karen McDowell, Chief Executive of NHS Surrey and Sussex ICBs, highlighting concerning research showing that around a quarter of people who need palliative care at the end of their lives do not currently receive it. He raised particular concerns about access to medicines out of hours and called for a dedicated 24/7 advice line to be available to all Sussex residents.
In response, CEO Karen McDowell confirmed that expanding the existing End-of-Life Care Hub (ECHO) model is a priority for this year.
Currently, palliative care access in Sussex varies significantly across the region. In Coastal West Sussex, the End-of-Life Care Hub (ECHO) provides a 24/7 specialist advice. However, this model currently serves only 31% of the ICB area, leaving many residents without access to this vital round-the-clock support. Outside the coverage area, access to end-of-life medicines relies on anticipatory prescribing, extended hours GP services, and NHS 111 triage to out-of-hours services.
The organisation has committed to focusing on improving equity of access across the region and developing a comprehensive Sussex-wide needs assessment to inform future commissioning.
John Milne, Liberal Democrat MP for Horsham said: “I'm pleased that NHS Sussex has confirmed that expanding 24/7 palliative care support is a priority for this year. With the recent vote on the Assisted Dying Bill in the House of Commons, it has never been more important that we ensure everyone has access to high-quality palliative care.
“The ECHO model has already demonstrated improved patient and carer experience in many areas. It's vital that this coordinated support is extended to Horsham and the rest of Sussex who don’t currently benefit from this service. I will continue to work with NHS Sussex to ensure these plans are delivered and that all my constituents can access the compassionate, expert care they deserve.”
Toby North, Marie Curie, Head of Public Affairs said: “Terminal illness does not respect the clock. We must stop this over reliance on ambulances, A&E and emergency hospital admissions to care for people at the end of life, particularly out of hours. It is resulting in large numbers of people entering a crisis in their final chapter, which is deeply distressing for patients and families, and extremely expensive for the NHS.
“By ensuring that these essential palliative and end of life care services are available using one, easily available phone line, like NHS 111 we can help to prevent people with a terminal illness entering a crisis at the end of their lives that is deeply distressing for them and their families, and expensive for the NHS.”