September 2026
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This conference examined next steps for palliative and end of life care policy and delivery in England, with a focus on achieving more consistent commissioning, sustainable provision and timely access to high-quality care. Areas for discussion included development of the national policy framework, pressures on hospice and specialist services, the shift towards community-based care, reducing variation and inequalities, and priorities for workforce, personalised care and technology-assisted delivery.
It brought together stakeholders and policymakers to discuss issues raised in the National Audit Office’s report, The financial sustainability of England’s adult hospice sector, alongside development of the Government’s Modern Service Framework for Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care. Delegates will considered options for population-needs-based commissioning, more consistent funding and contracting arrangements across integrated care boards, stronger accountability for provision and outcomes, and improved understanding of current and future demand.
The proposed shift towards care closer to home was assessed, including what will be required to provide specialist palliative care in people’s usual place of residence and across community settings. Attendees considered implications for hospital capacity and discharge pathways, support for care homes, multidisciplinary working and the capacity of community services to meet growing demand.
With stakeholders raising concerns about bed losses and service reductions, and Marie Curie research indicating significant levels of unmet need and inadequate primary care support, sessions assessed priorities for making access more straightforward and timely. Discussion included co-ordination between services, earlier identification of need, anticipatory planning and support for patients and families to make informed decisions and plan ahead.
Strategy, commissioning & sustainable provision
Discussion focused on aligning future service development with the 10 Year Health Plan and on priorities following the Government’s interim update on the Modern Service Framework in June. Delegates assessed what will be needed ahead of the Framework’s publication in autumn 2026, including effective implementation, sustainable funding, workforce capability, equity of access and culturally competent provision.
Overall, areas for discussion included:
- strategy and delivery: priorities following publication of the Modern Service Framework - national and local responsibilities - sequencing, implementation and accountability
- commissioning: population-needs-based approaches - consistent arrangements across ICBs - sustainable contracts for hospices and specialist providers
- access and variation: improving understanding of demand - earlier identification and referral - addressing unwarranted variation between areas and population groups
- children and young people: sustainability of children’s hospices - specialist commissioning and workforce pressures - continuity during transition to adult services - support for families and unpaid carers
- system working:
- embedding palliative and end of life care within neighbourhood health models and recovery pathways
- the roles of local authorities, voluntary and community organisations, primary care networks and acute providers
- assisted dying:
- implications of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill not completing its parliamentary passage - possible future policy approaches
- safeguarding, public confidence and workforce considerations - the relationship with high-quality palliative care
Quality, access & workforce considerations
Delegates examined priorities for improving the consistency, quality and accessibility of care, including how services and systems can define, measure and compare outcomes across different settings. Discussion considered the use of patient experience, service data and system dashboards to identify disparities, support population-level planning and inform service improvement.
Sessions assessed:
- quality and outcomes: defining and measuring high-quality palliative care across different settings - comparative analysis and service improvement - accountability for standards and outcomes
- data and planning: interoperability and data quality - identifying unmet need - effective use of dashboards by commissioners and providers
- addressing inequalities: barriers affecting underserved and marginalised groups - access for communities with differing cultural, social and clinical needs
- workforce: strengthening district nursing and specialist capacity - expanding training across health and social care - recruitment, retention and multidisciplinary working
- neighbourhood teams: embedding hospice and specialist professionals within local services - coordination across primary, community, social and acute care
Personalised care, service models & technology
Further discussion focused on advancing person-centred care, including anticipatory planning, shared decision-making and more coordinated support for patients, families and unpaid carers. Attendees considered access to bereavement services, advice and support outside normal working hours, and approaches to reducing fragmentation between services.
Ways forward for developing and adopting new models of care were assessed, including how digital and data-driven tools might support earlier identification of need, better-targeted interventions and reductions in crisis admissions. The potential contribution of virtual wards, remote monitoring and other technologies will be considered in relation to coordination, clinical oversight, accessibility and quality of life.
Areas for discussion included:
- care coordination: simplifying fragmented pathways - communication and information-sharing between services - continuity across settings and stages of care
- support for families: practical and emotional support for unpaid carers - access to bereavement services - availability of advice outside normal working hours
- data and AI: appropriate uses in planning and clinical decision-making - governance, evidence and professional oversight - implications for accessibility and trust
- remote care: clinical criteria and safeguards for virtual wards and remote monitoring - integration with community and specialist teams - patient choice and digital inclusion
- technology adoption: evaluation, procurement and implementation - workforce capability - patient acceptability - potential uses of virtual reality and other emerging tools
All delegates were able to contribute to the output of the conference, which were shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This included the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those who attended included parliamentary pass-holders from the House of Commons and officials from the Department of Health and Social Care; and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
