Achieving palliative care access for all: a lens on Scotland

Looking at palliative care ambitions for Scotland, there is no doubt that the Scottish strategic framework for action on palliative and end-of-life care has a bold vision. For example, the strategy asserts that, by 2021, everyone living in Scotland who requires palliative care will have access to it (Scottish Government, 2015). Now that we are in 2021, a lens on Scotland seems timely, to see if the vision has been achieved. In doing so, we can also learn lessons to improve accessibility to palliative care services for those in England.

First, it is worth looking at the fundamental pillars of the strategy and how these were implemented to include both adults and children (Scottish Government, 2015).

In order to ensure successful implementation, it is clear that a range of statutory, independent and third-sector organisations were involved in the delivery of this mission.