Faith leaders across the UK have signed a statement calling on nuclear weapons states to join with other states to implement new approaches to eliminate nuclear arsenals. Ahead of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference meeting from 27 April to 22 May 2015, senior representatives from eight faiths in the UK, including Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist, have given their backing to a statement calling for the elimination of nuclear weapons. The faith leaders argue that nuclear arsenals ‘violate the principle of dignity for every human being that is common to each of our faith traditions’. The statement urges nuclear weapons states to ‘develop a robust plan of action that will lead us to a nuclear weapon free world’ but in recent years, the UK government has strongly resisted proposals for negotiation of a new treaty that would lead to the elimination of such weapons.

A report by the Health Select Committee found that acute and community care for people reaching the end of their lives varies around the UK, and has called for long-term sustainable funding for hospices. Report author Dr Sarah Wollaston MP said: ‘There are unacceptable levels of variation in the care that people receive and this needs to be addressed so that high quality end of life care is available to everyone regardless of their age, medical condition or where they live. We must make sure that specialist palliative care expertise is accessible within hospitals and community settings as well as within our hospices.’  Hospice director Dr Ros Taylor, who is also national director of Hospice UK, explained that some patients still get lost within the NHS system and people die waiting to leave hospital. End of life care should be made available free of charge, MPs have concluded.