The commission welcomes evidence from those who have experience of palliative care services and those who are providers of services, both in health and social care and beyond. We welcome evidence from statutory services, third sector and commercial providers.
Where possible, evidence should be focused according to the cross-cutting shifts of the Change NHS, 10 year plan:
1. Moving care from hospitals to communities
Please provide evidence on how palliative care can improve support in communities and avoid inappropriate hospital admission, and when admission is needed, how it is appropriately targeted and available. Please outline any challenges or opportunities that arise in implementing these services.
2. Making better use of technology
Please provide evidence to on how technology is being effectively utilised to improve palliative and end of life care and outline any challenges or opportunities that arise in implementing or integrating these technological solutions.
3. Focusing on preventing sickness, not just treating it
Please provide evidence on how palliative care may prevent problems for people with life limiting conditions or at the end of live, and those close to them such as family members. Examples might include preventing crises, relieving pain, symptoms and psychological or other distress, aiding decision making, ways to provide a rapid response when crises occur and support to informal carers.
4. Integration
Please provide evidence of how palliative and end of life care can integrate across sectors and outline challenges or opportunities that arise in this.
It will be helpful for evidence to consider some of the following stages:
· Identification of people with palliative and end of life care needs
· Care planning
· Coordination of care within services and across boundaries
· Delivery of high-quality care
· Last days of life
· Care after death
· Support for carers - before and after death
We will be accepting submissions from those working in palliative and end of life care, as someone as a recipient of palliative and end of life care, or as a family member or carer for someone receiving palliative and end of life care:
a) clinicians, commissioners, and providers
b) academics, researchers, and others
c) patients, families, and carers
The closing date for submitting written evidence is Friday 28 March 2025.