Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that Clinical Commissioning Groups understand their responsibility for the commissioning of children’s palliative care, and that they engage with the work that is done in the third sector to provide and develop children’s palliative care.

In 2016, the National Palliative and End of Life Care Partnership, made up of 27 partners from across the system, published Ambitions for Palliative and End of Life Care - a national framework for local action 2015-2020. The framework outlines an overarching vision for palliative and end of life care for both children and adults, and includes six ambitions, all with building blocks, to make that vision a reality. A copy of the framework is attached.

The framework emphasises the importance of local decision-making and delivery and encourages commissioners to work with partners to improve palliative and end of life care across the local system.

To support delivery of the ambitions, a new online only ‘knowledge hub’ has been developed containing resources, tools and case studies for both commissioners and professionals, including commissioning guidelines.

NHS England also expects clinical commissioning groups to commission services in accordance with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines End of life care for infants, children and young people with life-limiting conditions: planning and management, which includes details on the planning and management of end of life and palliative care for infants, children and young people. A copy of the guidance is attached.