New Palliative Care Strategy Launched

Supporting People with Life-Shortening Conditions

Greater training and support for healthcare staff are among measures set out in a new strategy to improve palliative care across Scotland.

‘Palliative Care Matters for All’, published today by the Scottish Government, is a five-year strategy produced in partnership with NHS Scotland, charities, health and social care professionals, and people with experience of palliative care services.

Measures include better integrating specialist palliative care into hospital and community services, improving public information about living with life-shortening conditions, death, dying and bereavement support community-led networks to help people talk openly about these issues, and the launch of a new Scottish Palliative Care Learning Hub to strengthen training and education.

Healthcare professionals who are providing palliative care will be able to contact a new round-the-clock phone line for advice and support, helping to ensure the best possible care is provided.

The strategy is supported by a delivery plan for 2025–28. It highlights the changes needed to ensure everyone in Scotland can access timely, high-quality and compassionate care.

Launching the strategy at the Cornhill Macmillan Centre in Perth, Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health Jenni Minto met with NHS staff, volunteers and patients to hear first-hand about the vital role of specialist palliative care services.

We want everyone in Scotland – regardless of age, diagnosis, or location – to have access to timely, high quality and person-centred palliative care.

This strategy is rooted in the voices of people with experience of palliative care, alongside the expertise of professionals, carers, and the third sector. Working in partnership, we hope to ensure that palliative care is compassionate, person-centred, and available to all who need it.

– MINISTER FOR PUBLIC HEALTH & WOMEN’S HEALTH, JENNI MINTO

Calling UK health and care practitioners!

Please help us shape the work of the new Impact Centre for palliative and end-of-life care.

Survey takes 15 mins to complete.

We especially want to hear from people from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland https://t.co/BsCpe2NEt6

— Prof Katherine Sleeman (@kesleeman) September 4, 2025

The care and support received by people living with serious illness or approaching the end of life matters enormously to everyone at some point. I hope that the new strategy will deliver a step change in understanding – that palliative care is not a niche activity but rather a major thread running through the current challenges and opportunities for Scotland’s health and social care system. There is a lot which can, with the right support, be improved. We look forward to working closely with Scottish Government and other partners to maximise the strategy’s positive impact.

– MARK HAZELWOOD, CEO OF THE SCOTTISH PARTNERSHIP FOR PALLIATIVE CARE

The funding boost will ensure frontline staff providing palliative and end-of-life care are fairly paid in line with NHS pay scales.https://t.co/NosxROup5F

— STV News (@STVNews) July 25, 2025

This strategy rightly recognises the vital role of specialist and community-led palliative care, and we are encouraged to see commitments to improved training, public understanding, and better integration across settings. As leaders of Scotland’s hospice sector, we hope this marks a turning point – one that brings meaningful improvements to access, equity, and long-term sustainability of palliative and end-of-life care across the country. We look forward to working with the Scottish Government, NHS Scotland, and partners to deliver on the ambitions set out in the strategy.

– JACKI SMART, CHAIR OF THE SCOTTISH HOSPICE LEADERSHIP GROUP

Background 

The strategy can be viewed here: Palliative Care Matters for All Palliative care strategy initial delivery plan (2025-28) – gov.scot