MORE needs to be done to increase awareness of the availability of ongoing healthcare for people with long-term and terminal illnesses, Islwyn MP Chris Evans has said.

The Labour MP led a debate in Parliament last week on continuing healthcare (CHC), through which a patient's ongoing social care is funded by the NHS.

But Mr Evans said he was concerned patients may not be aware the system was on offer, leading to them shelling out for their own care unnecessarily.

He was responding to a question from DUP MP Jim Shannon, who said: "There is no guiding framework for continuing healthcare in Northern Ireland, which makes getting a CHC assessment particularly challenging. It is unlikely to be offered or mentioned by someone’s local health or social care team, but it is definitely available.

"Does (Mr Evans) agree that we need a UK-wide change in how continuing healthcare is managed for those who are terminally ill, instead of expecting phenomenal charities such as Macmillan to stand in the breach?"

Mr Evans replied: "Most people do not know about continuing healthcare." He added: "It is not just an issue for the Northern Irish, Scottish or Welsh Governments or whoever - it is a UK-wide issue.

"We are dealing with people who are near the end of their time on this earth, and we have a duty not just as politicians, but as human beings, to ensure that their time is as comfortable as humanly possible."

Mr Evans, a long-time supporter of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, added: "All my life, I have counted myself as a socialist in the belief that I have as much responsibility for the person sitting next to me as I have for myself.

"I honestly believe that I see that all the time in the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

"I can only pay tribute to those people from the bottom of my heart for the work they do for families and for carers.

"Even after the ones they loved have gone, there are still people out there fighting for those with motor neurone disease."

Responding, care minister Caroline Dinenage said: “We know that continuing healthcare is provided to some of the people with the highest and most complex health and care needs in the country, and they deserve our support. Of course, the nature of the situation presents some challenges.” She added she agreed there is work to be done to increase awareness of continuing healthcare.