Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of palliative and end of life care on patients; and how the 10 year plan will ensure that there is adequate provision of these services.

No formal assessment has been made on the impact of palliative care and end of life care on patients, but we know that currently approximately 600,000 people die per year in the United Kingdom. Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative care and end of life care provision.

Whilst it is too soon to say what will be in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Department is investing £3 million through the National Institute for Health and Care Research in a new Policy Research Unit in Palliative and End of Life Care. This unit launched in January 2024 and will build the evidence base on palliative care and end of life care, with a specific focus on inequalities.