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Press Release

7 September 2026

New Survey shows 8 in 10 adults want access to Palliative Care if they or someone close to them need it, but more information is needed

Minister for Health, Robbie Butler to open Palliative Care Conference in Newry

More than 8 in 10 of adults in Northern Ireland want access to palliative care if they or their loved ones need it but further efforts are needed to support people to understand the full range of supports palliative care can provide to people with life limiting conditions and their families. The findings are from a new survey of the public’s perceptions of palliative care commissioned by the All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC) ahead of Palliative Care Week, which takes place from 6th – 12th September 2026.

The survey of 500 people in Northern Ireland found that the overwhelming majority of the public want access to palliative care because they want to live as well as possible and recognise that palliative care services can provide relief from pain, support for their families, and practical support at home.

  • More than 8 in 10 (85%) in Northern Ireland would want access to palliative care if they or someone close to them needed it.
  • The top three factors’ people deemed most important if they need palliative care are relief from pain and symptoms (61%), being cared for at home (44%), and support for family and carers (40%).
  • Over 3 in 4 (78%) feel comfortable having a conversation with someone close to them about the care they would want if they become ill but less than half (45%) know where to find information or support to start that process.
  • Only 6 in 10 believe palliative care can support people with a serious of life limiting illness (63%), help people manage pain and other symptoms (59%) and include emotional, social and spiritual support (57%)

This year’s campaign theme, ‘It’s Not What You Think,’ aims to dispel persistent misconceptions around palliative care and encourage open conversations about how these vital supports improve daily quality of life for people with life-limiting conditions and their families. The All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC) is encouraging people throughout the island of Ireland to think about what palliative care is, and how it could positively support their lives, or the lives of their loved ones, now and in the future.

A key event in this year’s Palliative Care Week will be The Palliative Care All Ireland Practice Conference, taking place at the Canal Court Hotel in Newry on Tuesday, 8 September. New Minister for Health, Robbie Butler will provide the opening address. The conference will explore and celebrate the many dimensions of palliative care that are transforming experiences of illness, care and living well across the island of Ireland and it will bring together health and social care professionals, researchers, educators, students, policy makers, volunteers and community organisations.

Karen Charnley, CEO, AIIHPC said:

“These findings give us a strong and positive message that people recognise the value of palliative care and want access to it when they or a loved one need support.

We have also been given a clear insight into the priorities for people, which includes pain and symptom relief and supports for families and carers. Our priority is to raise awareness of the benefits of palliative care and the supports available during Palliative Care Week.

“While we are pleased to see a significant drop in the number of people who think palliative care is mainly for people at the end of life, from 89% in 2024 to 57% in 2026, that still represents over half. We hope this year’s campaign theme, ‘It’s Not What You Think’ will help people to connect and to ask themselves and think about what palliative care really is, to learn more about how it could support them or a loved one now or in the future, and to have open conversations about the positive difference it can make to their lives,” Ms Charnley said.

Health Minister Robbie Butler said:

“Palliative Care is there to support quality of life and help people to live as well as possible with their condition – be that for weeks, months or years.  Being diagnosed with a life-limiting condition is not something any of us want to hear; either for ourselves or for a friend or family member.  It is therefore important that people who find themselves in this position understand what palliative care is and where they can access these vital services.

“While the results of the new survey of the public’s perceptions of palliative care are encouraging, it is still clear that more work is needed to close the gap and get us to a place where even more people have a better understanding of palliative care.  That’s why I am giving my full support to this year’s Palliative Care Week campaign which aims to tackle the continuing misconception around what palliative care actually is and help generate greater awareness and learning about the services available and how and where to access those.”

Sally Convery, Nurse Consultant for Palliative and End-of-Life Care, Public Health Agency,

“Palliative care helps people live as well as possible while navigating the challenges of serious illness, while also supporting those who are important to them. Accessing palliative care earlier can help people manage symptoms, maintain independence and focus on what matters most in their lives. This year’s survey highlights the importance of having conversations about future care wishes. Advance care planning enables people to make informed choices, express their preferences and ensure their voice remains at the centre of decision-making. Palliative Care Week provides an important opportunity to raise awareness of the support available, encourage these conversations and promote earlier access to care when it can make the greatest difference.”

This Palliative Care Week, people are encouraged to learn more about palliative care and its benefits and to find information about events taking place by visiting www.palliativecareweek.com.

Follow the campaign on social media @AIIHPC #pallcareweek

Find further information about palliative care, including supports and resources to help you at www.thepalliativecarehub.com.

** AIIHPC spokespeople are available for interview**

ENDS

For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Claire O’ Flynn 085 800 1275 / claire@communicationsclinic.ie

Gordon Spierin 087 7724 717 / gordon@communicationsclinic.ie

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Photo Captions:

Launching Palliative Care Week 2026, ‘It’s not what you think’ are L-R Sally Convery, Nurse Consultant for Palliative and End-of-Life Care, Public Health Agency, Karen Charnley, CEO, AIIHPC and Gearóid Cassidy, Director of Primary Care in the Department of Health

Northern Ireland Survey Findings:

  • In 2024 64% associated palliative care mainly with cancer care. In 2026 only 12% associated palliative care mainly with cancer care.
  • In 2024 89% of people associated palliative care mainly with end-of-life care. This figure dropped to 57% in 2026.
  • 85% feel reassured palliative care could help them or a loved one.
  • 85% would want access to palliative care if they or someone close to them needed it.
  • 77% recognise palliative care helps earlier in a serious illness, not just at the end of life.
  • 72% currently associate palliative care with “quality of life”.
  • 47% know it can be provided alongside other treatments e.g. chemotherapy.
  • Only 8% say they don’t know anything about palliative care.

Survey Methodology:

  • The research was conducted online by iReach Insights on behalf of AIIHPC from 4th June to 11th June 2026.
  • The sample size of 1,500 respondents (1,000 ROI; 500 NI) is representative across age, gender, region, and socioeconomic status, providing a confidence level of +/- 2.5% at a 95% confidence interval.

Palliative Care Stats for Northern Ireland (2024-2025) from Hospice Uk

  • 18,050 deaths were registered in Northern Ireland in 2024.
  • As many as 90% of people who die in the UK would benefit from palliative care.
  • In 2024-25, the hospices in Northern Ireland provided palliative care to 12,000 people.
  • Hospices in Northern Ireland provided direct support services to 1,700 family members, friends and carers.
  • 43,000 visits were made by specialist palliative care nurses and doctors to hospice patients at home.
  • 34,000 visits were made by generalist healthcare staff to hospice patients at home (including nurses, healthcare assistants, social workers and carers).
  • 14,000 outpatient appointments were made by hospices for physiotherapy, counselling and other support services.
  • 19,000 days and nights of inpatient care were provided by hospices.
  • 8,100 appointments were provided to patients’ families, friends and carers, including counselling and bereavement support
  • 334 clinical and care staff were employed by hospices in Northern Ireland.
  • Around 1,215 volunteers help hospices deliver care and support services in Northern Ireland.

About the All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care:
The All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC) is a collaborative of hospices, health and social care organisations, universities and charities on the island of Ireland. AIIHPC’s aim, with our twenty-seven member organisations, is to ensure excellent palliative care is available for everyone at the right time and place across the island of Ireland.

AIIHPC works with a group of visionary partners who recognise the value of working together to achieve a better, richer experience of palliative care for people with life-limiting conditions. The organisation’s 27 members (15 Republic of Ireland / 12 Northern Ireland) are:

  • Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
  • Dublin City University
  • Dublin University Trinity College
  • Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation
  • Midlands Palliative Care Alliance
  • Evora Hospice Care
  • Foyle Hospice
  • Galway Hospice Foundation
  • Irish Hospice Foundation
  • Irish Cancer Society
  • LauraLynn Ireland’s Children’s Hospice
  • Marie Curie
  • Marymount University Hospital & Hospice
  • Milford Care Centre
  • Northern Health and Social Care Trust
  • Northern Ireland Hospice
  • Northwest Hospice
  • Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services
  • Public Health Agency
  • Queen’s University Belfast
  • Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
  • South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
  • Southern Health and Social Care Trust
  • Francis Hospice
  • Ulster University
  • University College Dublin
  • Western Health and Social Care Trust

AIIHPC receives funding from a range of sources, including member organisations, the HSE, the Public Health Agency, the Health Research Board, and the Health and Social Care R&D Division, Public Health Agency.