Tenerife Association Proposes EU-Wide Roadmap for Standardized Palliative Care

The quality of end-of-life care in Europe currently depends too much on where a patient lives. To address this, the Tenerife-based association "No Somos de Segunda" (We Are Not Second Class) has presented a new roadmap to the European Parliament, calling for standardized palliative care across the continent.

The proposal, known as the "Cabo Blanco European Action Plan," was introduced in Brussels by the group’s president, Vanesa Díaz. It outlines ten strategic goals designed to shift the focus of European health policy from a purely clinical approach to one that prioritizes dignity and human companionship. Key recommendations include establishing common quality standards, improving specialized training, expanding home-based care, and better managing EU funding to support rural and remote areas where patients often struggle to access services.

The association began in southern Tenerife in 2024, inspired by the founder's personal experience. In just two years, the group has successfully transformed local care by working with authorities to launch a 17-person home care team, secure eight dedicated palliative beds at the Hospital del Sur, and improve the coordination of medical records across the Canary Islands. They now hope to scale these successes by urging the European Union to adopt binding rules that guarantee equitable end-of-life care for all citizens, regardless of their location.

Supported by the Spanish Society for Palliative Care and medical experts from the Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, the delegation received a positive response in Brussels. The initiative aims to push EU member states to adopt stronger legal frameworks, ensuring that dignified, high-quality care becomes a standard priority across the continent.