Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of assessing the nation's palliative care needs in the context of the obligation on Integrated Care Boards to commission such care.

We have not made an assessment. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning healthcare services which meet the needs of the people for whom they are responsible, including palliative and end of life care needs. NHS England formally oversees ICBs and has a legal duty to annually assess and publish the performance of each ICB. In addition, the Care Quality Commission system assessments provide an independent assurance to the public and Parliament.

NHS England has also begun analysis of the recently submitted ICB Joint Forward Plans against the legal statutory duty to commission services that meet the palliative and end of life care needs of their local populations. This analysis will be used internally to help focus support to ICBs in the implementation of their statutory duty under the Health and Care Act 2022, and will also enable identification of where more targeted support is required.