Government Accepts Many Conclusions Of Independent Expert Panel’s Report On Palliative Care Services In England
The Government has published its response to the Independent Expert Panel (IEP) report on palliative care in England, accepting or partially accepting findings that services are under significant strain, inconsistent, and difficult for patients to navigate
The report was produced by the Independent Expert Panel (IEP), a group of health and care policy experts commissioned by the Health and Social Care Committee to carry out impartial, in-depth evaluations of services.
The IEP’s report, published 28 November, highlighted a number of issues undermining the delivery of palliative and end of life care, including:
- Variability around the country in the way services are commissioned, a lack of access to data on the needs of local populations
- Insufficient funding for, and provision of, neighbourhood-based services
- Patients and families struggling to navigate a complex system and a lack of information on how to access services
- The NHS’s community-based workforce facing shortages, low morale, poor access to training and limited career progression
- Systemic inequality throughout the country, both in terms of the quality of services available in different parts of the country and in the experiences of underserved or marginalised communities.
The Government’s response includes an assurance that an NHS-wide workforce plan will be published in spring this year, and says the forthcoming Modern Service Framework for palliative and end of life care could improve commissioning and delivery of services.
