Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will set up an expert group on the future of palliative with representatives from (a) hospices, (b) academia, (c) the community, voluntary and social enterprise sector, (d) NHS providers and (e) Integrated care boards.

There are no current plans to set up a new expert group. However, already in place is the National Palliative and End of Life Care Partnership, which is made up of NHS England and 34 partner organisations with experience of, and responsibility for, end of life care.

This Partnership was responsible for the refresh of the Ambitions Framework. This framework sets out the vision to improve end of life care through partnership and collaborative action between organisations at local level throughout England, by setting out six key ambitions.

The Department, alongside key partners, NHS England, will continue to proactively engage with our stakeholders, including the voluntary sector and independent hospices on an ongoing basis.