Overview

This bill aims to improve access to palliative care for adults and children in England, ensuring consistent provision of specialist and generalist services, fair access to pharmaceutical services for hospices, and improved processes for making decisions about medical treatment for children with life-limiting illnesses.

Description

The bill focuses on three key areas:

Palliative Care Access

It mandates NHS clinical services commissioners to arrange for the provision of specialist and generalist palliative care services, including access in hospitals, the community, and places of usual residence. It also ensures hospices receive pharmaceutical services on the same basis as other commissioned services. The bill emphasizes reducing inequalities in access to palliative care.

Treatment of Children with Life-Limiting Illnesses

The bill introduces a mediation process before court applications for decisions on medical treatment for children with life-limiting illnesses. This process aims to resolve differences between health service bodies and those with parental responsibility or an interest in the child's welfare. Exceptions are made for urgent cases or where mediation is impossible due to the actions of those involved. The court will assume that treatment proposals from parents are in the best interests of the child unless proven otherwise.

Definitions

The bill provides clear definitions for key terms like "child," "health service," "health service body," "palliative care," "specialist palliative care," and "places of usual residence."

Government Spending

The bill doesn't specify exact figures for increased government spending. However, it is expected to lead to increased costs associated with expanding access to palliative care services, including staffing, facilities, and pharmaceutical provision. The precise financial impact will depend on the scale of service expansion needed to meet the bill's objectives.

Groups Affected

• Patients requiring palliative care: Improved access to services, potentially leading to better quality of life.
• Hospices: Easier access to pharmaceutical services, improving financial stability and service delivery.
• NHS clinical services commissioners: Increased responsibilities for commissioning and managing palliative care services.
• Children with life-limiting illnesses and their families: A more structured and supportive decision-making process regarding medical treatment.
• Doctors and healthcare professionals: May experience increased workload and responsibilities in providing palliative care and participating in mediation processes.

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