 Felly, ei ddau i'r ddweud yn y fwy o gyllid, ac roedd yn dechrau'r ddweud iawn. Mae'r ddechrau'r ddweud y fyddion yn y ddweud y cyd-2957, yn ymwyaf gael Gillian Martin o Mary Curie's Great Daffodil appeal 2022. Fy gydig iawn i'r ddweud y ddweud wedi'u ddweud i gweithio'r byddiol, rydyn ni'n ddweud y ddweud i'r ddweud i gydig i'r ddweud i'r ddweud i'r ddweud i'r ddweud i'r ddweud i'r ddweud i'r ddweud i'r ddweud. amd�io yr oedon ni, byddwn ni'n mynd i gael i'r fanygyrry a ddod i'r ddweud y swyddfyrrir yma i'r maen nhw, Gareth Dafyddil, ar gyfer 2022. O'r sefydling yw'r maen nhw'n mynd i arferntau a'r sefydling, mae'r maen nhw rym seten wedi'u gwneud i'r pandemi coronavirus. Y ddyn nhw'n mynd ymlog neill cael y brosidol, mae'r maen nhw yn gilydd i'r ymlog neillam i ddod i'r bwysigol yn cyd-dwylliant, mae'r maen nhw'n mynd i'r need it most. With it, while their work might not always make newspaper headlines or news bulletins the work of Marie Curie's staff means the world to those receiving their care and to the relatives and carers that it gives vital support to. Just one conversation with someone who has seen them in action will tell you that. The great Daffodil appeal runs throughout the month of March and next week on 23 March, Marie Curie will also be the national day of reflection. A time to connect for the millions of people who are grieving to remember the family, friends, neighbours and colleagues who've been lost to us over the past two years. And there are lots of ways that you can take part from joining the minute silence at 12 noon on the 23rd to hosting a wall of reflection wherever you are in your communities. That we will be able to come together to remember the mums and dads, swyddiad, yn gwneud rwyf gan ddaeth, chweithio, ddoffans ac ymddangos gyda'rbau? Maen yn bwysig i dryf i'r ddweudio, felly allod nhw'n gweithio sydd codi'r sgwyl попeth â'i ddweudio a'r hyffordd, rydw i'w ddy completion o enviwser i ddim yn argiei gwyllgor i ddweudiaeth i ddweudio'r cyflogau amgylcheddol, yn gyntaf ar gyhoi agnod, rydym iawn a'r gychwyn gyda ff seizedadau a'r gyflogus i ddychyn nhw, a wnaeth i dyfu ar gyhoi'r gy определidau I want to thank all my colleagues from across the chamber who supported my motion and please draw me and our party leaders in the garden lobby on the Thursday after First Minister's questions. For the yearly photo call, we haven't had a chance to do for two years and I will be delighted to also host Mary Curie in a Parliament event tomorrow night and I hope to see members there. Over the years, the need for Mary Curie end-of-life care has increased and it has meant the world to those who receive it, but the cost of delivering this incredible service is £250,000 per week. The work that Mary Curie does allows people to die with dignity and with comfort in a place such as a care home, hospice or their home. At the moment, half of people with terminal illness die in hospital and while both nurses and doctors provide an incredible service in hospital, that can bring challenges for relatives in terms of time and cost of travel to and from the hospital and by enabling people to have the opportunity to die at home. It means that they are able to be in a place that is familiar and in surroundings which give them comfort and, probably most importantly, with the people that they love the most beside them. During the pandemic, Mary Curie has been able to provide end-of-life care at home and I look in my area of Aberdeenshire incredibly across the whole of NHS Grampian, 54 Mary Curie nurses provided care and made 330 visits to people in Aberdeenshire between 2020 and 2021, whilst working under those most challenging of conditions. 94 per cent of people at the end of their lives who were supported by Mary Curie nurses were able to die in their place of choice usually at home. None of that care would have been possible without the generosity of people locally and right across Scotland and the many, many fundraising volunteers. Right now, out in our shopping centres, although I am looking at the clock and maybe they are all closed, and supermarkets and high streets, you will see volunteers collecting money from the generous citizens of Scotland to help fund the services of Mary Curie. They are easy to spot, clad in yellow bibs, some with big yellow top hats—you cannot miss them—and all part of the great daffodil appeal that we are showing our support for by wearing our daffodils this month. If summer arrives, we will be preparing to host our blooming great tea parties in support of Mary Curie. However, you do not have to wait for these events or to be approached by the yellow clad volunteers. Many supporters of Mary Curie have set up monthly direct debates online, and every penny that you can give helps. As more people live to an older age, it is estimated by 2040 that 10,000 people every year will need palliative care. If current trends in where people die continue, by 2040, two-thirds of all Scots could die at home in a care home or a hospice. We know that health inequalities and inequities exist, with certain groups of people receiving less palliative care than others with a comparable need. By supporting all people from across our society with terminal conditions, we can help them, but we can also help to relieve pressures and acute services, including reducing unnecessary hospital admissions, including those through accident and emergency. I would like to finish with the words of the senior Mary Curie nurse, Anne-Marie Craig. Anne-Marie works in the NHS Grampian area. Speaking to the press and journal at the end of last year, Anne-Marie spoke movingly about how rewarding her role as a Mary Curie nurse can be. She said that she gets job satisfaction knowing that she is looking after people at a really difficult time. When somebody has passed away, that is when people make contact with us. People regularly contact me because they want to make a donation and they always remember the nurse's name. They will specifically say, can you thank Linda or whoever, because they have been there a long time in the house for nine hours and you get to know them as well as patients. I would like to say to you and all the nurses, staff and volunteers in Mary Curie who go above and beyond each day and to everyone who donates and allows Anne-Marie and her colleagues to give her loved ones that care. Thank you for all that you do. Thank you very much, Ms Martin. I call on Stephen Kerr, who will be followed by Rona Mackay for up to four minutes, Mr Kerr. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. It is a real honour to be able to participate in this debate on the Mary Curie Great Daffodil appeal for 2022. I congratulate Gillian Martin on bringing in this debate. It is a very important matter. Like most individuals in this chamber and across the country, I have direct experience of relatives and friends requiring palliative and end-of-life care. In fact, it is one of the very few inevitable things about life for every one of us. The passing of loved one is a testing time for all families. The support given by nursing and hospice staff eases the suffering that we face as individuals and families as well as easing the suffering of those that are facing end-of-life. Through their dedication to their profession, nursing and hospice staff create space for moments of joy in the last months and weeks of someone's life, and we all need our memories of loved ones. Wyrringly, pressures on the social and palliative care sector are increasing. That is not a new phenomena, but it is evidence of the lack of our collective political will to deal with the issues that we are presented with in the sector. I am minded that, perhaps to suggest that we should have some form of legal right to the appropriate palliative and end-of-life treatment. Everyone in this chamber understands the importance of this care. We all, I believe, have a duty as parliamentarians at times to leave behind political manoeuvring and come together to support something that is a matter of life and love. The scale of the challenge that we collectively face has been magnified by the Covid-19 pandemic. As Gillian Martin points out in her motion, Marie Curie cared for over 9,000 people in Scotland during 2020-21, which is reportedly the highest number of patients cared for in a single year since the charter was established 70 years ago. Central Scotland region, we also have the Strathcarn hospice, which cares for 1,400 people across Forth Valley, Cumbernauld and Kilseith. The support is only able to be provided because of the generosity of fundraisers and donors. As pointed out in the motion, Marie Curie requires £250,000 a week to deliver its front-line services. Strathcarn hospice requires £14,315 a day to keep its services running. The fact that so many people are willing to support this care is inspiring and helps to involve all of us in supporting those costs that are there and are real and are incurred as we help each other towards the end of life. When we actively play our part in providing funding through lotteries, appeals, raffles, bake sales, coffee mornings and so on, we are all part of a great movement. Charities such as Marie Curie add love to what they do, the love of those who give, who leave bequests or who get involved in fundraising efforts, but it is also about the love of those who provide those services, their devotion and dedication, which is enabled by the voluntary giving of so many thousands of our fellow countrymen and women. I hope that we will all take time on the day of reflection on 23 March this year to remember those whom we have lost and those whom we have loved. I conclude with the very memorable words of Her Majesty the Queen in relation to the issue of grief and mourning. She said that grief is the price that we pay for love. I think that we owe each other an obligation to make sure that, as we each of us in turn approach the end of life, that the appropriate level of love and care is there and that Marie Curie does that in such a splendid and wonderful way. Thank you very much indeed, Mr Kerr. I now call on Rona Mackay, who joins us remotely. I will be followed by Jackie Baillie for around four minutes, Ms Mackay. I am very pleased to be speaking in this debate, and I thank my colleague Gillian Martin for bringing it to the chamber. Over the past two years, all our lives have been turned upside down due to Covid-19. We have been through some terrible, unpredictable times and, in fact, are still going through as we try to live with the virus. If it has been bad for us, the front-line medical workers have been heroic every single one of those dedicated to people who work throughout all healthcare areas. I have been fortunate to speak in most debates on Marie Curie's date. Daffodil Appeals has been elected in 2016. Under an unpredictable, ever-changing world, Marie Curie is a constant reassurance, like a big comfort blanket, that gives people the knowledge that they or a family member or friend will have choice and dignity in the event of terminal illness. In 2020-21, Marie Curie cared for the highest number of patients in Scotland in a single year since it was established 70 years ago. Over 9,000 people in Scotland, and that is remarkable, even by Marie Curie's standard. To support those front-line services, the charity needs to raise £250,000 per week to continue the vital care and support that Marie Curie provides across local authorities and hospices, and that is why this appeal is so important. Marie Curie and her amazing army of volunteers offer so much to everyone affected by terminal illness. That means helping families, bereavement support, emotional support, care support and companionship. The amazing Marie Curie information and support service is invaluable to patients and their families at their time of need. They offer unconditional support and advice and nothing is too much trouble. This horrible virus, as Gillian Martin has said, has brought us into focus on how necessary access to palliative and dignified end-of-life carers is, but it is extremely fortunate to have some amazing organisations such as Marie Curie, Mcmillan Cancer and others. I am in favour of assisted dying for terminally ill people, but I am also supportive of palliative care. Should the person choose that, Gillian Martin dignified and peaceful death is a very personal decision. I am delighted to say that there are Marie Curie fundraising groups in my constituency in Bishop Briggs, Kirkntillock, Lensie and Bearsden, and there are just some of the 85 or so groups in Scotland doing fantastic work. In my last speech, I highlighted research about the issue of too many people who are caring for someone at the end of life, going unidentified and unsupported, and that should be addressed. Careers need to be identified early, and it is everyone's responsibility to identify them—not least GPs, social workers and district nurses—and signpost them to Marie Curie so that they can at least break, even just for a few hours. Financial support and advice are also vital. The problem is that carers often do not see themselves as carers, they see themselves as mothers, sons, brothers and friends doing what they do out of love, so they do not identify as carers or ask for help, often to the detriment of their own health. However, carers should know that Marie Curie is always there to step in and help to care for their loved one with tenderness and professionalism. Marie Curie nurses give people with terminal illness choice and dignity. They make it possible for people to face with a terminal illness to have the choice to die peacefully in their own homes surrounded by the people they love. None of us know when and if we will need the support of Marie Curie nurses, but we should all be eternally grateful that, if we do, they will be there. The great daffodil appeal is Marie Curie's biggest annual fund raising campaign. From wearing a daffodil pin to organising large-gallot dinners or small-peak sales, there are countless ways for people to get involved and know that they are contributing to an absolutely wonderful charity. Thank you very much, Mr Brian. I call on Jackie Baillie to be followed by Paul MacLennan for around four minutes, Ms Baillie. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Let me start by congratulating Gillian Martin on securing debating time for this important topic, but also for the content of her speech. I also acknowledge the very helpful briefing provided by Marie Curie in advance of the debate, but the indispensable work of Marie Curie and the entirety of the hospice staff team and, indeed, the community nurses, especially over the past two years, cannot be understated. I want to record my thanks for all that they have done and that they continue to do. When family members couldn't be with their loved ones, Marie Curie was there. Staff provided dignified and important palliative and end-of-life care, supported those who were dying, supported their families, and they have been the backbone of our communities throughout the pandemic. End-of-life care is as important as any other aspect of our health and social care system, yet it is often overlooked. As Gillian Martin rightly said, around 50 per cent of people currently die in Scottish hospitals, but the majority would prefer to die at home or in a homely setting. We must do better to honour their wishes by better supporting our hospices and palliative care nurses, delivering services at home. Hospices have faced deep and difficult challenges since the pandemic began, but they have risen to those challenges time and time again. I know that Marie Curie cared for over 9,000 people in Scotland between 2020 and 2021, the highest number since the charity was formed 70 years ago. I know that it is also true that St Margaret's Hospice in Clydebank where a number of my constituents are cared for by the indomitable sister Rita and her dedicated team of staff, who are coped with similar pressures. The pressures must be immense and yet hospice staff at both St Margaret's and at Marie Curie hospices continue to provide that care day in and day out. It is estimated that by 2040 across Scotland over 62,000 people will be dying with palliative care needs each year. In my constituency, 89.5 per cent of those who pass away each year spend the last six months of their life at home or in a community setting. As the need for palliative care increases, it is crucial that we support hospices to deliver that work. Let me thank Marie Curie volunteers that contribute so much with their fundraising activities and a special shout-out to the Marie Curie shop in Alexandria that I have spent some time in during volunteer's week each year. I very much welcome the Scottish Government's commitment to a national clinical lead and a new national palliative care strategy. That will require a whole system public health approach to terminal illness at a national and local level and it should be introduced unsurprisingly in my view sooner rather than later. The third sector needs to be at the heart of shaping those proposals and the strategy needs to address concerns around workforce capacity, the co-ordination of care, sustainable funding, which has been a perennial issue given to community-based palliative care services as a matter of urgency. However, we also need to address inequalities within our society that can be found mirrored in palliative care too. Many groups receive less palliative care than others with comparable needs, including those who are over the age of 85, from ethnically diverse backgrounds, from deprived areas in our communities, those living with mental health needs or those who identify as LGBTQ. They are all less likely to ask for help when they need it and this must be addressed by any strategy. The trend of increased deaths at home has stayed high even as the pandemic has become more manageable, which highlights the need in my view for well-equipped services and an adequate workforce to manage demand. We must support hospice staff in this work now more than ever. We all wear our yellow daffodil badges with pride and rightly so, but it is time that we put that pride into action and ensure that maricury and hospices across the country are supported to continue delivering the world-class care that people across Scotland need and deserve. Thank you very much. Ms Bailey and I call on Paul MacLennan, who will be followed by Gillian Mackay for around four minutes. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I thank Gillian Martin for bringing this debate this evening. I can also thank the early WAG staff and the team at Maricury for their briefing tonight. Maricury provides a nursing service in 31 out of 32 of our local authorities. They are also the third-largest provider of palliative care for adults in Scotland. I have seen an action in their helper service and that provides companionship and support to those affected by terminal illness. That is a presence in all 32 of our local authorities. They also have their information support lines and that includes the dedicated bereavement line, which provides that key emotional support for families during a really difficult time. It has been mentioned before that in 2020-21, Maricury supported over 9,000 people living with a terminal illness. It has been mentioned that it is the highest number ever. The key thing that I think that you obviously see in the working partnership with the NHS and also local authorities and other charities in delivering the services that provide that care. He sold in an average of about 1,150 people die each year. About 1,000 of those people are people who have palliative care needs. Last year, 312 visits were made by Maricury in my constituency. 88 per cent of those were spent in the past six months of life at home or in a community setting. The pandemic also showed a 43 per cent increase in deaths at home. That is likely to see that continuing trend. It is important that we look at the future demands on palliative care services as our populations age. What we are also seeing now is people living to older age. We have multiple conditions and the number of deaths has gone up. Maricury are estimating about around 10,000 needing palliative care by 2040. He mentioned the opportunity without substantial investment in community-based care. The hospital deaths could increase to around 57 per cent if all deaths by 2040. Covid-19 has provided insight into what increased demand for palliative support in the community could look like. We mentioned around 6,000 more Scottish deaths at home than in previous years. That trend is likely to continue. One of the key things that Maricury mentioned in their briefing is about the challenges of workforce capacity, care co-ordination and integration between health and social care and sustainable funding for community palliative care services. That is a challenge to us all. I appreciate the minister's touch on those issues in the summing up. Will you join me in recognising the dedication of Maricury workers and volunteers across the country? In rural areas, where they support dying people in their families and recognise that the challenges that they are providing in palliative care have never been greater, and Maricury has stepped up to the mark in supporting people no matter where they live. Paul McClellan? I fully support that. I do not have as ruler constituency as Mr Carson, but I do have some rural areas in my constituency. That is a challenge and I know the support that they give, so I fully support that. The Scottish Government says that it is committed to a national clinical leader in new palliative care strategy, and I think that that is much welcomed. Maricury indeed welcomed that. It said that it obviously requires a whole system public health approach to determine on that, and that should be adopted. That is a key thing that Mr Carson mentioned both nationally and locally, taking in local circumstances. Maricury and the beef are also asked that the strategy sets out a plan for palliative care delivery in all settings, including hospitals, hospices, care homes and of course people's own homes. Again, that is taking in local indications. They also state that it must include bereavement support, which I think is incredibly important for families. We need to work with all care providers, including NHS, social care, independent and third sector, to work towards ending palliative care inequalities and inequities among the group that has struggled to access vital palliative care services. The other thing that they are calling for is to establish a new national palliative and end-of-life care network, linking key stakeholders with health boards and other integration authorities. Maricury also supports the establishment of the national care service, but it states that it must be a framework for palliative care to flourish, to support terminally all people to have an end-of-life experience, which reflects what is most important to them. He also mentioned that Nissan needs a whole system public health approach, which will be crucial for the design and delivery of the national care service at that particular stage. The third sector must also beat the heart of informing the national care service's design and structure, given the key role that plays an integrated service. I thank Maricury for their amazing care that they have given to so many families over the years and what is a really difficult time. That is very much Ms McLennan. I now call on Dylan Mackay, who is joining us remotely, to be followed by Emma Harper for around four minutes. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I too would like to extend my thanks to everyone caring for people at the end of their life throughout the pandemic and beyond. Anyone who has witnessed Maricury nurses caring for a loved one in the last days and weeks of their life will be keenly aware of the incredible work that they do. They work to give people a good death and they provide kindness, care and compassion for people and their families who are going through the unimaginable. I have heard from constituents about the incredible support that they have provided to them and their family members and how they did everything possible that they could to make the most difficult experience in their lives a little less painful. I would also like to take the opportunity to associate myself with the remarks that Stephen Kerr has made about Strathcannon hospice in our central Scotland region. They do some amazing work locally and have a wide range of support from people and businesses across the area. The pandemic has led to more open conversations about what a good death looks like and how we can afford people dignity and death. We must keep those discussions going as we enter recovery. Scotland's ageing population means more and more people will be dying in the years to come. With Maricury research suggesting up to 10,000 more people dying every year with palliative care needs by 2040, people will also be more likely to die in the community, either in their own homes or in residential care homes. We should enable people to have the death that they want, one that reflects their wishes and palliative care will play an essential role in that. Many people dying at home will also be cared for by family and friends and it is vital that they get the right support, both while they are in their caring role and after their loved one has died. Maricury estimates that every year around 40,000 to 50,000 carers in Scotland are bereaved. We must ensure that they can access dedicated mental health support when they need it. Often people can be left not knowing where to turn after the death of a loved one, not knowing who can help them to process their grief. We must be proactive about identifying carers who have been bereaved and signposting them to support, such as that provided by Maricury's bereavement support service. We must also improve our ability to proactively identify people with palliative care needs at an early stage. There is currently significant unmet need, as one-third of Scots with terminal conditions die without an anticipated care plan in place. Maricury has pointed out that the inverse care law applies to palliative care just as it does to other parts of the health and care system and significant inequalities exist. People from minority ethnic backgrounds and from rural and deprived communities are less likely to receive palliative care. They are also less likely to ask for it. Research conducted by Maricury has revealed that many people from ethnically diverse groups are not accessing palliative care, and when they do, palliative care delivery is not always sensitive to the different needs, particularly around culture and religion. Research has also shown that one in six LGBTQ plus people are discriminated against when music public services such as palliative care and half of LGBTQ plus people expect to be discriminated against. That can discourage them from accessing the care services that they need. There are also misconceptions about who is entitled to palliative care, such as that it is only for people with cancer, and that must be challenged. We need to improve awareness of what palliative care is available and how it can be accessed, but we also need to ensure that palliative care-centred services are person-centred, culturally competent and that they have the resources that they need to identify and engage with people who are terminally ill. I thank Gillian Martin for bringing the debate forward, by again thanking everyone working at Maricury. As the motion states, Maricury needs £250,000 per week to support its front-line services, which is why it is so important that we take time to highlight the great daffodil appeal in Parliament and encourage people to support it however they can. I thank Gillian Martin for the great daffodil appeal in Parliament and encourage people to support it however they can. I was not planning on speaking, but I have contributed in previous years. I wanted to support my colleague Gillian Martin and be in chamber here when she was leading the debate. I thank Gillian Martin for leading the debate this year. I remember as a new MSP Bruce Crawford leading this previously when I was in UB. In my own career as a registered nurse, I have looked after terminally ill people. That was in the perioperative or the perianysesia environment, but not directly with the end of live care. I also was able to look after people in award setting as well. When I was a clinical educator in NHS Dumfries and Galloway, I worked with the team in Alexandra unit at DGRI in Dillnrymple ward at Galloway community hospital, where end-of-life and pain management care is provided by an absolutely amazing team. I want to thank you all because you are awesome. I also want to thank the Marie Curie staff, nurses, carers and volunteers. Without you, we could not raise the funds that we needed in order to take that forward. They are all fantastic and I do not think that I could do what they did, what they do every day. I also want to recognise the briefing that Ellie Wagstaff sent us from Marie Curie ahead of the debate. It talks about the £250,000 per week that is needed to support front-line services. Stephen Kerr mentioned the £14,000 for one in his area. That highlights how it requires investment in the services in order to provide the best person-centred end-of-life and pallidive care that Gillian Mackay mentioned in her remarks. It is interesting to hear about everybody else's contributions. I know that, as Paul MacLennan said, the 31 out of 32 local authorities have Marie Curie services. I welcome the great Daffodil appeal and the reception that is going to take place on Wednesday 16 March in Holyrood. There will be speakers that will reflect on their experience and their personal experience, which I am sure will be very valuable for us all to hear. As I was not planning on speaking, I want to congratulate Gillian Martin again, thank her for leading the debate this year. I look forward to hearing the minister's response and once again thank all the volunteers that are out there fundraising for the great Daffodil appeal this year. First of all, on behalf of the Scottish Government, I also want to welcome this year's great Daffodil appeal and thank Gillian Martin for bringing the motion to the chamber this afternoon—or this evening, in fact. The past two years have been so difficult for all of us in so many ways, and I know that it has been a particularly difficult time for those working in the third sector. That is why I am absolutely delighted to be here this evening to celebrate Marie Curie's great Daffodil appeal and to have the opportunity to thank all the Marie Curie staff who have worked tirelessly and selflessly over the past few years. The contributions of Marie Curie to the wellbeing of those near the end of life and those around them is quite simply invaluable. We have heard here today from other members just how much Marie Curie services means to people right across Scotland and the difference they make to local communities. I know that Marie Curie has made even in the last challenging year over 1,000 visits to people in my area in NHS Highland, and I thank them for that. I want to take a moment to thank all those across Scotland who's generous donations have helped to make Marie Curie's great Daffodil appeal such a great success since it began in 1986. The donations are so important to ensure that Marie Curie can continue to provide vital support and provide the high-quality person-centred care that we all associate with Marie Curie. Death, dying and bereavement and preparing for the end of life isn't a subject that is often discussed openly. The pandemic has shown a spotlight on the importance of having those conversations early and meaningfully to help to ensure that people get the care that is right for them. The Scottish Government has long been committed to driving a culture of openness about death, dying and bereavement. It was one of the key actions that set out in a previous strategic framework for action on palliative and end-of-life care in 2015. Throughout the pandemic, we have continued our work with organisations such as Marie Curie and the Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care to help to ensure that people and their families are supported to have those difficult discussions so that people can receive the care that is right for them. As Marie Curie has rightly pointed out, the demand for such services will only continue to grow, and that is why it is so important for us to take time to reflect on the work that we have done to date and to think about what we can do better. Scotland is a world leader in the field of palliative and end-of-life care, and I am really proud of the improvements that have been made since we published our last strategy. That includes increasing the number of people who have key information summaries in place, increasing the availability and spread of palliative care services and undertaking an innovative programme of health and social care integration of which palliative care was a key component. However, we have come a long way since the framework was published, and there is still much more that can be done to make Scotland a place where everyone has access to high-quality, compassionate and timely palliative and end-of-life care that is tailored to their circumstances. That is why, in our programme for government, we committed to developing a new palliative care strategy and appointing a new palliative care lead clinician to help to lead this work. The preparatory work to develop this strategy is already well under way, and the process to appoint a lead clinician has concluded. I look forward to sharing more details of that appointment with Parliament in the near future. In developing this strategy, we want to learn from the innovative and adaptive work of Marie Curie and the wider palliative and end-of-life care community in order to develop a pragmatic and meaningful framework for further improving our palliative and end-of-life care services. It is really important to me, and others have also mentioned it, that this new palliative and end-of-life care strategy takes a whole system public health approach to helping to ensure that everyone who needs palliative and end-of-life care can access it, regardless of geographical location, regardless of age and regardless of medical condition. That is why, as part of our work to develop a new strategy, we will be focusing on key areas that can make a real difference to a person's experience towards the end of life. Those key areas include data collection and usage, anticipatory care planning, commissioning, planning of services, children's palliative care to name a few. However, it has only been by working closely together with key stakeholders, such as Marie Curie, that we have been able to make such progress in taking forward our previous strategy. Marie Curie is already working in partnership with others, including the NHS, local authorities and other charities, to deliver integrated services that provide person-centred care. I am absolutely confident that, with organisations such as Marie Curie, as part of our palliative care community, we will be able to progress further work to ensure that people and their families get the right care for them when they need it most. Deputy Presiding Officer, colleagues, let me finish today's debate by turning their attention to the symbol of today's event, a daffodil flower that symbolises new beginnings and rebirth. I was really interested to find out that it can also symbolise creativity, inspiration and reflection. Today's event is an excellent opportunity for us to reflect on the creative work undertaken by Marie Curie and the palliative end of life care community to support people and their families at the end of life and to celebrate that work. I am truly inspired by Marie Curie's continuous work for a better end of life for all. I welcome the efforts in raising and maintaining awareness of the topic through events such as this, and I am very proud to support the great daffodil appeal. Thank you. Thank you very much, minister. That concludes the debate, and I close this meeting of Parliament.