PALLIATIVE care in England “faces catastrophe” and risks people being denied a real choice over assisted suicide, a leading charity warned yesterday.

In an open letter to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Marie Curie chief executive Matthew Reed said that the system for carrying for dying people risks being overwhelmed.

More than five million people set to need end of life support in the next decade and financial pressures are forcing cuts to staff and services, he said.

With “the prospect of assisted dying legislation becoming law in the coming months,” he warned that “the situation is completely unsustainable — and we need a long term and fair funding model as part of a national plan.

Mr Reed said Mr Streeting was “on the record as having expressed the view that the palliative care system is not ‘where it needs to be to give people a real choice’.”

The Department of Health has been contacted for comment.