New National End of Life Care Coalition Launched to Champion a Whole-Society Approach to Death, Dying, and Grief.
End of Life Doula UK is pleased to announce the launch of the National End of Life Care Coalition. The Coalition brings together a diverse range of members from across health, social care, community organisations, and lived experience groups, united by a shared belief: that dying, death and grief are not solely medical matters, but deeply human and social experiences.
Informed by considering death as a phase of life, rather than a medical event, and in reaction to the predominantly clinical focus in the recent report from the Independent Palliative and End of Life Care Commission, the Coalition seeks to fill a crucial gap in the national conversation.
We are especially proud to share that Dr Emma Clare, CEO of End of Life Doula UK, has been nominated by fellow coalition members to serve as Deputy Chair of the Coalition. This reflects the growing recognition of the key role end of life doulas play in supporting individuals and families through death, dying, and bereavement. As trusted non-medical companions, end of life doulas provide support in ways that complement, and often extend beyond, traditional care systems.
Emma’s appointment ensures that our end of life doula voice is firmly embedded in national conversations about end of life care, and underscores the value of compassionate, relationship-based support alongside clinical provision.
The Coalition will act as a national platform for joined-up action, sharing learning, championing community-led responses, and influencing long-term systemic change. It will also remain politically neutral in relation to legislation such as the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, focusing instead on creating a space for a national conversation which centres the role of communities in end of life care and advocating for the wide variety of voices that are not currently served.
As a founding member of the Coalition, End of Life Doula UK is committed to ensuring that people facing the end of life and those who support them are seen, heard, and supported, and that the role of communities in providing this support is at the centre of policy and public health conversations.
To find out more about the Coalition and its founding principles, visit: https://endoflifecarecoalition.co.uk
