End-of-life and palliative care - National Plan 2023-2026

Palliative care, end-of-life care and assisted dying are too often seen as taboo subjects in our society.

One of the objectives of the national plan for end-of-life and palliative care 2023-2026 is to ensure that people are better informed on these subjects through, amongst other things, information campaigns and brochures clarifying the rights of patients and the tools at their disposal ((medico-)ethical consultations, persons of trust, advance healthcare directive and end-of-life arrangements), to guarantee that patients' wishes are respected within the framework of the Laws of 16 March 2009 on palliative care, the advance healthcare directive and end-of-life support, the Law of 16 March 2009 on euthanasia, assisted suicide and end-of-life arrangements, and the Law of 24 July 2014 on patients' rights and obligations.

The plan also aims to improve care by refining palliative and end-of-life care training, facilitating access to essential medicines for palliative care and euthanasia, improving the consistency and application of the legal framework and enabling fair access to palliative care, euthanasia and assisted suicide.

Finally, particular attention is paid to children in need of palliative care — the key idea being the need for specific paediatric palliative care expertise — through the creation of a team dedicated to paediatric palliative care within the national paediatrics service, proposed training in paediatric palliative care in Luxembourg and, lastly, the implementation of a respite structure.

The aim of all of these steps is to give comfort and support to people who have reached the end of their life, while respecting their wishes, as well as supporting their families and anyone involved in this emotionally difficult stage of life.

The national plan for end-of-life and palliative care focuses on 7 main priority areas

  1. Governance, resources, monitoring and reporting
  2. Better information
  3. Better training
  4. Creating services for children
  5. Making the necessary products available  
  6. Adapting the legal framework
  7. Making access fair

Publication

Plan national fin de vie et soins palliatifs (2023-2026) (National end-of-life and palliative care plan (2023-2026))

Respect for the person's wishes

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