Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help support patients receiving end-of-life care.

As set out in the Health and Care Act 2022, it is the legal duty of integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission palliative and end of life care to meet the needs of their local population. To support commissioners to fulfil this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications for both adults, and children and young people, which provide guidance to ICBs on enabling high-quality commissioning of services that meet both population need and preferences.

In addition, ICBs are supported by Palliative and End of Life Care Strategic Clinical Networks which work to progress and implement sustainable commissioning models for equitable, high-quality services.