Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 14 September 2026 to Question 27682 on Palliative Care: Eligibility, if she will require a referral to a Specialist Palliative Care assessment from (a) hospitals and (b) community centres to be triggered following a diagnosis of terminal illness.

Specialist palliative care services support people with more complex needs. Not all patients with a terminal illness will need specialist palliative care input. For many patients, their palliative care needs can be managed effectively with access to high-quality generalist services.

Through our forthcoming Modern Service Framework for Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care, we want to see robust generalist delivery of palliative and end-of-life care across the board, alongside ensuring timely access to specialist palliative care support when required. We recognise the importance of strengthening links between generalist and specialist services, ensuring that the services are joined up and integrated.