Palliative care is an approach that aims to relieve suffering and improve the quality of life for patients with life-limiting acute or chronic conditions and their families. Yet high-quality palliative care is not universally available or accessible to all Canadians.
The CMA has participated in the national dialogue on palliative care for years. We continue to represent the physician perspective on this issue, including by participating in Health Canada consultations on a Canadian palliative care framework and in the Palliative End-of-Life Care National Network.
2000–2026 Statistics Canada projections
Canadians will die each year by 2026 — likely translating into increased demand for high-quality palliative care services
2010 Quality End-of-Life Care Coalition of Canada report
people on average are affected by a single death, meaning the accessibility of high-quality palliative care has an impact on millions of Canadians