As MPs prepare to debate and vote on Friday on legislation to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill adults in England and Wales, leading end-of-life charities have renewed calls for the government to fix chronic underfunding and poor provision in palliative care. Hospice UK, Marie Curie and St Christopher's hospice, which remain neutral on assisted dying itself, warn that patchy access to quality end-of-life care risks influencing people's choices around assisted death. Hospice UK chief executive Toby Porter said it would be "unsanctionable" for someone to consider an assisted death out of fear they would not receive adequate pain relief or care, adding that hospice services are shrinking, beds closing and community visits falling despite widespread agreement on the need for reform.

Marie Curie's research suggests nearly one in three dying people have unmet palliative care needs, equating to more than 200,000 people across the UK each year, a figure it warns will grow as the population ages. St Christopher's chief executive Steve Smith said nearly 60% of hospices have made or are considering cuts to frontline services amid rising demand, with south London demand up almost 50% over six years. Polling by Ipsos found 34% of respondents believe assisted dying should only be legalised alongside extra investment in end-of-life care, while 30% support legalisation regardless. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who will abstain from the vote, has said he believes palliative care funding must be fixed before assisted dying is considered.