Integrated care boards (ICBs) must do more to ensure they are meeting the palliative care needs of their population, the Health and Social Care Committee (HSCC)’s report into assisted dying has said.
The report, published today (29 February), found that care received by patients varied due to a number of factors, including location, condition and patient characteristics.
The committee called on ICBs to obtain better data on their population so they can ‘more fully understand’ their needs and ‘more effectively support the provision of services’ in the future.
The report added that though the Health and Care Act 2022 introduced a statutory requirement for ICBs to provide palliative care services, it was ‘too soon’ to conclude if this has improved access to or funding of palliative care.
It found that those from rural and deprived areas were less likely to receive high quality care, as well as those who had life-limiting conditions that were not cancer-related.
Patients who were ‘excluded in society generally’, such as those with dementia, those who are homeless and those in prison, also find it harder to access palliative care, according to the report.
The report said: ‘The UK has long been a world leader in palliative and end of life care, but access to and provision of palliative and end of life care is patchy.
‘The Government must ensure universal coverage of palliative and end of life services, including hospice care at home. It is important that everyone is able to choose what type of support they need at the end of their life, and that their advanced care plan is honoured where possible.’
Health and Care Act
The report added that though the Health and Care Act 2022 introduced a statutory requirement for ICBs to provide palliative care services, it was ‘too soon’ to conclude if this has improved access to or funding of palliative care.
It also said there was concern among those giving evidence to the committee about the language used in the Act, as it did not stipulate ‘specialist’ palliative care.
Dr Matthew Doré, honorary secretary at the Association for Palliative Medicine of Great Britain and Ireland, told the committee that ‘ICBs just funding GPs doing palliative care does not solve the problem’.
The report also put forward several recommendations for the Government, including that they should:
- Ensure universal coverage of palliative and end of life services, including hospice care at home.
- Commit to an uplift of funding to guarantee that support will be provided to any hospices which require funding assistance.
- Commission research into how to better provide mental health support and guidance for those living with a terminal diagnosis and report back to Parliament.
- Establish a national strategy for death literacy and support following a terminal diagnosis. This strategy will help healthcare professionals to better support someone and their loved ones, from the moment of a terminal diagnosis.
Chair of the HSCC, Steve Brine MP, said: ‘The inquiry on assisted dying and assisted suicide raised the most complex issues that we as a committee have faced, with strong feelings and opinions in the evidence we heard.
‘We intend the information and testimony we present in our report today to have a lasting legacy and, as we set out in the initial terms of reference, be a significant and useful resource for future debates on the issue. That could still be during this Parliament of course or after the next general election.’
