The South Belfast MLA has said: “We heard from Marie Curie this morning about their profound concerns that people face the end of their lives in poverty, a situation exacerbated by the still spiralling cost of living.
“The fact is that those of us elected to the Assembly last year could be scrutinising and advocating for actions which would improve that situation, giving much greater dignity to people in their final days.
“We need to work across departments to improve access to critical support, considering ideas such as a Carers Allowance Supplement, a ‘self-care element’ to welfare, and removing restrictions on support for mortgage interest loans for terminally ill people. In this way, we can act to remove some of the critical stress factors for people as they enter end-of-life care.
“There can be few higher priorities than ensuring dignity in dying through appropriate support within and beyond the healthcare system. No one who reads the report will fail to recognise the urgency of the issue.”