PALLIATIVE care is falling short for too many people in Scotland a committee of MSPs has found.

The Scottish Parliament Health and Sport committee said that around 10,000 terminally ill people are not having their needs met at the end of their life.

The cross party committee called on the Scottish Government to set out how it will ensure palliative care is accessible at the point of need.

It has been found that there are gaps in provision especially for people dying of an illness other than cancer.

Homeless people and those with learning disabilities were also found to be less likely to have access to end of live care.

Duncan McNeil, committee convenor, said: “Our Committee came to a firm conclusion that everyone who needs it should be able to access high quality, person-centred palliative care. We heard that this is not happening on a consistent basis and that people across Scotland have a different experience depending on where they live, their age and their condition.

“Conversations around death and dying are never easy. But palliative care is about giving people the best quality of life regardless of how long that may be for.”

The Scottish Government has committed to publishing a Strategic Framework on palliative care which the committee hopes will build on its recommendations.

Deputy Convenor Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow said: “As our population ages and more people need palliative and end of life care, it is vital we look beyond just the specialist settings and take a more comprehensive look at where care is being provided to ensure the right care is delivered at the right time and in the right setting.”