The ‘Delivering Choice’ initiative helps develop the best possible provision for palliative care patients in Tayside and enables them to spend their final days at home.

The aim is to use the findings from the three-year project to form palliative care policy and planning throughout Scotland.

Dundee East MSP and SNP health spokesperson Shona Robison praised the project, but said that if every terminal cancer sufferer chose to die at home the resources were not currently in place to grant each patient their wish.

She said 75% of admissions to the cancer centre at Ninewells Hospital were for palliative care and many could be cared for at home with the right back-up and resources.

“At the moment, only 21% of terminally-ill cancer patients in Dundee who choose to die at home get that wish. Most end up on the cancer wards in Ninewells Hospital,” said Ms Robison.

“Any hospital is not conducive for peace and tranquillity.

“One of the major things needed is flexible 24 hour nursing care.

“Carers looking after their ill loved ones want assurance they will have the support of nurses if needed.

“If they are not coping through the night with someone that is terminally ill, they should have the assurance of help through either Marie Curie or Macmillan Nurses.

“Mr Kerr said they would monitor the outcomes of this project and they would look at whether there is a need for more resources, although he didn’t go as far as promising more resources.”

Ms Robison said that although the project was still in its early stages, she believed it was already having a positive impact for sufferers.

“In Tayside we have much better palliative care than in other parts of Scotland,” she said.

“I believe it has had an impact, particularly in more remote parts of the area.

“If the 75% of people got their wish to go home to die, the services are not in place to cope. They need to be extended.”