Select committee: Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 13
Second Report - Assisted Dying/Assisted Suicide
Published 29 Feb 2024
Paragraph 278
Addressed to Department of Health and Social Care
Health and Social Care Committee Assisted dying/assisted suicide All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
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.
From: Health and Social Care Committee, Second Report - Assisted Dying/Assisted Suicide (HC 321), paragraph 278, 29 February 2024
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 9 May 2024 (deadline 29 April 2024).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government states that any change to the law on assisted dying/assisted suicide is a matter for Parliament and individual conscience, and its response focuses mainly on palliative and end-of-life care.
- On legislation elsewhere in the UK or Crown Dependencies, it says it "will discuss with them the practical implications for England and Wales" and any constitutional issues.
- On universal palliative care coverage, it describes existing steps, including a duty on integrated care boards to commission palliative care and a new NHS England dashboard, and recognises "disparities in access to hospice services".
- On mental health research, it points to £3 million being invested through the National Institute for Health and Care Research in a new Palliative and End of Life Care Policy Research Unit.
- On a national death literacy strategy, it says "We do not plan to establish" one, citing the inclusion of palliative and end-of-life care in wider strategies and free training.