National Assembly for Wales

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes that the Office of National Statistics recorded 37,403 deaths in Wales in 2020.

2. Acknowledges the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on those providing end-of-life care and those who are terminally ill and their loved ones, particularly given coronavirus restrictions on visits to hospitals, hospices and care homes.

3. Recognises the vital importance of high quality palliative care and bereavement support services under such circumstances.

4. Notes the Royal College of Nurses Wales's concerns regarding nurses being exhausted, stressed and near burnout due to the pandemic and the additional pressure of providing end-of-life care.

5. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) keep under review the guidance associated with visits to hospitals, hospices and care homes, so that families and operators are able to enable safe and compassionate contact during end-of-life care;

b) ensure that those who are approaching the end of their lives, as well as their loved ones, have access to high-quality care and emotional support;

c) significantly increase financial support for palliative care and bereavement support services in the next financial year to meet the increased, and more complex needs arising from the pandemic; and

d) implement a long-term plan to support nurses and care staff to deal with post-traumatic stress and mental health issues caused by the increased requirement for palliative care.