Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure adequate access to professional bereavement counselling for all people who require that service.

Bereavement support is commissioned locally, to meet the needs of the local population. In July 2022, NHS England published statutory guidance to support Integrated Care Boards with their duty to commission palliative care services within integrated care systems. The guidance states commissioners should ensure there is sufficient access to bereavement services.

Additionally, the Government is committed to ongoing engagement with the voluntary sector, including the UK Commission on Bereavement, to explore any additional support needed for those who have been bereaved.