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 that all children with life-limiting conditions have access to an advance care plan, as recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Local commissioners, who are responsible for delivering the majority of children’s palliative and end of life care, should take the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence guidance into account when planning services for local populations.

To support implementation of the guidance NHS England commissioned Together for Short Lives, a leading children’s end of life care charity, to examine services across the country to identify best practice in implementation of the guidance, as well as barriers, through interviews with local NHS services. Together for Short Lives have now provided a suite of solutions to enable local areas to meet the needs of children at the end of life. More information about this work can be found at the following link:

www.togetherforshortlives.org.uk/changing-lives/supporting-care-professionals/introduction-childrens-palliative-care/nice-guidelines/