Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will (a) provide statutory guidance to Integrated Care Boards on the requirement to commission specialist palliative care and (b) publish a timeframe for that guidance being available.

NHS England and NHS Improvement are responsible for issuing statutory guidance to integrated care boards (ICBs) in relation to their commissioning functions. This includes in relation to the commissioning of palliative care, the definition of services and ensuring that ICBs fulfil their obligations in relation to all their functions.

There is currently a range of guidance available to commissioners regarding the provision of palliative and end of life care including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s evidence-based guidance and quality standard, which was updated in September 2021.

In 2016, NHS England and NHS Improvement published guidance on specialist level palliative care for people with progressive, life-limiting illness who have complex needs. The guidance available will be kept under review and updated as required, to ensure it best meets the needs of commissioners.