Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that those suffering with terminal medical conditions have dignity at the end of their lives.

The NHS Long Term Plan sets out how the provision of healthcare is being updated to give people more control over their own health and more personalised care, including at end of life. The establishment of the Personalised Care Institute has made training available to help staff identify and support patients and to introduce proactive and personalised care planning for everyone identified as being in their last year of life. This enables meaningful conversations to take place and allows staff to help patients and families, address their concerns and to explain the breadth of services available in the local area. Clinicians should continue to utilise existing guidance from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence which includes specific reference to maintaining comfort and dignity in the last days of life. ‘Care of dying adults in the last days of life’ is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng31/resources/care-of-dying-adults-in-the-last-days-of-life-pdf-1837387324357