Palliative care under significant strain
2nd December 2025
On 28 November The Health and Social Care Committee of the UK House of Commons published its evaluation of palliative care and end of life care in England. Undertaken by a panel of independent experts including Dr Sabrina Bajwah from the Cicely Saunders Institute, the report highlights workforce shortages, lack of training, inequitable access and “significant strain in all settings”.
The Panel found that ICBs are poorly equipped to commission the right services and lack proper funding. Patients and families struggle to navigate the system and are unable to access the services they need. The report warns that current funding models and commissioning practices make the government’s ambition to shift more care into the community difficult to achieve.
Ministers will address issues raised in the report in a special tabled event in the House of Commons on January 7th 2026. Read the full summary and report here: Expert Panel: Evaluation of Palliative care in England