Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her department is taking to ensure a more human-centred approach and coordinated support for the bereaved throughout the bereavement pathway.

Bereavement support is commissioned locally, in accordance with the needs of the local population. NHS England has developed guidance to support integrated care boards to fulfil their duty to commission palliative care services within integrated care systems. This statutory guidance states that commissioners should ensure that there is sufficient access to bereavement services.

Following publication of the UK Commission on Bereavement's report 'Bereavement is Everyone's business', the Department established a cross-Government bereavement working group, to ensure better collaborative working across Government departments.

This group, which includes representatives from over ten Government departments, is a forum to share best practice about bereavement support. The group continues to consider options for improving support and services for all bereaved people.