Advocacy
Across Canada, everyone deserves equitable access to quality hospice palliative care. CHPCA advocates for policies that make this possible in all communities and care settings for people facing a life-limiting illness and their loved ones.
What Does CHPCA Advocate For?
Accessible and Comprehensive Care: We champion accessible and comprehensive hospice palliative care for every person in Canada facing a life-limiting illness, in the setting of their choosing.
Framework and Action Plan Implementation: We advocate for the full funding and effective implementation of the Framework on Palliative Care (2018) and the Action Plan on Palliative Care (2019) to ensure consistent and high-quality care nationwide.
Adequate Resourcing: To meet the growing demand, CHPCA pushes for adequate resources for hospice palliative care organizations and teams, fostering continued growth and excellence in care provision.
Expanding Grief Support: CHPCA believes in enhancing grief and bereavement support services both within communities and hospice palliative care organizations.
Accessible and Comprehensive Care: We champion accessible and comprehensive hospice palliative care for every person in Canada facing a life-limiting illness, in the setting of their choosing.
Framework and Action Plan Implementation: We advocate for the full funding and effective implementation of the Framework on Palliative Care (2018) and the Action Plan on Palliative Care (2019) to ensure consistent and high-quality care nationwide.
Adequate Resourcing: To meet the growing demand, CHPCA pushes for adequate resources for hospice palliative care organizations and teams, fostering continued growth and excellence in care provision.
Expanding Grief Support: CHPCA believes in enhancing grief and bereavement support services both within communities and hospice palliative care organizations.
Help Make Change Possible
Our organization is a proud member of the Palliative Care Coalition of Canada (PCCC), a group of over 30 national organizations dedicated to improving palliative care for everyone in Canada. We believe that, to meet this goal, we need a well-funded, sustainable national strategy for palliative care.
As part of our work with the PCCC, we are supporting their advocacy committee’s parliamentary petition requesting renewed federal investment. The petition calls for the federal government to commit a further $29.8 million to palliative care to continue implementing the Framework on Palliative Care in Canada. This is the ask from our Pre-Budget Submission.
Why is Action Needed?
Timely access to hospice palliative care improves quality of life for both patients and families—but Canada still falls short. While access has improved since the 2018 federal Action Plan on Palliative Care, major gaps remain, especially in community and hospice settings.
Canada lacks enough hospice beds, faces a shortage of trained healthcare workers, and continues to struggle with stigma and misunderstandings about hospice palliative care.
Nearly 4 in 10 people who died in Canada in 2021-22 did not receive palliative care, and almost half of those who did only receive it within just 22 days of death. This reflects a system that continues to provide support too late for too many.
Caregivers in crisis still face confusion and frustration while trying to navigate the system, including accessing bereavement supports. Furthermore, Canada still lacks the infrastructure to assess the quality-of-care people receive. Advocacy is needed to expand awareness, support, and services in primary care, home care, long-term care, and other community settings, ensuring that no one is left without the care they need.
Breakfast On Parliament Hill in Honour of National Grief & Bereavement Day 2025
On November 19, the Palliative Care Coalition of Canada (PCCC) hosted its annual Breakfast on the Hill. This important event brought together parliamentarians, government officials, health system leaders, patient advocates, and palliative care professionals. As a member of the PCCC, CHPCA participated in the planning and took part in the event to help elevate national conversations about equitable access to compassionate person-centred care. Together, we helped shine a spotlight on a critical reality, across Canada, far too many people living with serious illness, along with their caregivers and families, still face significant barriers to the care and support they deserve. Timely access to hospice palliative care can profoundly improve quality of life for both patients and their loved ones.
Advocacy Milestones
