Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministerial Statement

Palliative Care

26 March 2026 · 3 other contributors

Opened by Layla Moran Lib Dem Oxford West and Abingdon

NHS

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Layla Moran raised concerns about palliative care in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

Key points

  • Layla Moran presented a report on palliative care on behalf of the Health and Social Care Committee.
  • The committee's independent expert panel found the palliative care sector to be fragmented, failing, and forgotten.
  • Key issues identified include inadequate care for babies, children, and young people, a postcode lottery in services, and a lack of 24/7 advice lines.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Government Statement

Layla Moran

On behalf of the Health and Social Care Committee, Layla Moran presented a report on palliative care. She noted that despite the universal experience of death, it often receives insufficient political attention. The committee's independent expert panel found the sector in critical condition—fragmented, failing, and forgotten. Key issues included inadequate care for babies, children, and young people; a postcode lottery in services; and lack of 24/7 advice lines. Moran called for clear and specific standards for vulnerable groups and high standards with accountability across the country. She expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of previous frameworks and urged action on commissioning services, data sharing, workforce issues, and hospice funding. Moran highlighted concerns about removing local authority representation from Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in the NHS reorganisation Bill.

Other contributors (3)
  • Julian Lewis Con New Forest East

    Question

    The MP congratulated Layla Moran on her report and asked if the investigation considered Together for Short Lives' recommendation to organise existing children’s palliative care services into operational delivery networks similar to those used in neonatal care.

    Minister reply

    Layla Moran commended Julian Lewis's campaigning efforts. She stated that Together for Short Lives was a contributor to their report, recommending better specialist pan-ICB commissioning modelled on other services. She emphasised the need to start with these vulnerable groups and provide them with more thought.

  • David Reed Con South West Hertfordshire

    Question

    I, too, welcome the Health and Social Care Committee’s statement and thank the hon. Member for all her work in leading the Committee. We all know that we have an ageing population. It is an issue that is going to increase, and we know that the pressures on our palliative care system will also increase. The assisted dying Bill has been going through Parliament, and I know that it elicits strong feelings—both for and against—on both sides of the House. Does her Committee feel that the light that has been shone on assisted dying has taken away from the discussion we need to have about palliative care?

    Minister reply

    If the hon. Gentleman reads the introduction, he will see that we put the report in the context of the discussions on the assisted dying Bill. Like this House, the Committee has a range of views on the issue—for and against, and in between—but the point we make is that we all share a desire for palliative care to improve. My own take on it is that the conversations we have been having about death—not just us as a House, but as a nation—as a result of that Bill have urged action. We have had the standards on palliative care for 20 years, and they have not been met. I think this is an opportunity. Regardless of where one stands on the matter of assisted dying, let us grasp the nettle and take the opportunity to finally get this right this time.

Shadow Comment

Julian Lewis

Julian Lewis congratulated Layla Moran on her statement and report, particularly praising her focus on children’s palliative care. He asked if the investigation considered Together for Short Lives' recommendation to organise existing children’s palliative care services into operational delivery networks similar to those used in neonatal care.

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