6 Not Addressed

It is unacceptable that access to 24/7 palliative and end of life care services remains...

Conclusion
It is unacceptable that access to 24/7 palliative and end of life care services remains patchy throughout England. Individuals nearing the end of life should be able to access the right care, advice and medication, wherever they are and regardless of the time of day. We are pleased that the Minister committed to 100% telephone line coverage in England by 2027, but this is not enough. While telephone advice lines provide support and may prevent unnecessary hospital admissions, they are insufficient to build a resilient and effective out of hours palliative care service on their own. (Conclusion, Paragraph 35)
Government Response Summary
The government response discusses the importance of data and dashboards for commissioning and performance oversight, but does not address the committee's specific concern about patchy 24/7 palliative and end-of-life care services beyond telephone lines.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government Not Addressed
Accept We agree that high-quality, consistent data is essential to effective commissioning, service planning, quality improvement and understanding and addressing inequalities in palliative care and end-of-life care. NHS England provides national data tools via a Palliative and End of Life Care Dashboard to support commissioners, and is strengthening expectations on data use through the Strategic Commissioning Framework and MediumTerm Planning Guidance. From April 2026, ICBs are expected to understand and use comprehensive utilisation and cost data for people with palliative care and end-of-life care needs as part of populationbased commissioning and performance oversight. The MSF will also set out clearer expectations on the data, outcomes and measures that systems should use to support consistent commissioning, transparency and inequality monitoring, while allowing appropriate flexibility to reflect local population needs. Our goal is to embed the active use of a robust dashboard and management information into core commissioning and accountability processes.
Addressee Bodies
Department of Health and Social Care
Timeline
Recommendation age 0.3 yrs
Report published 24 Mar 2026