The government has published an interim Modern Service Framework (MSF) for palliative and end-of-life care.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published its new interim Modern Service Framework (MSF) for palliative and end-of-life care in England.

The framework sets out the government’s vision for improving palliative and end-of-life care. It follows claims that for too long, it hasn’t been equitable, with people’s experiences often depending on where they live, who they are and their illness type.

It will help address rising demand, late identification of need, inequitable variation in access, experience and outcomes and the wider pressures facing the health and care system. The full framework will follow this autumn.

The MSF is a clinically led, evidence-based framework to support sustained improvement in outcomes for patients and carers, with a further focus on health inequalities.

One of just six MSFs announced by the government, it was outlined by care minister Stephen Kinnock in the House of Commons earlier this month.

The DHSC is also engaging with more than 70 organisations across health and care, including doctors, patients, carers and representatives of children.

In addition, it has identified five priorities for those commissioning and delivering services, including supporting staff and the public to understand palliative care better, managing needs closer to home and providing a person-centred approach.

Hospices struggling

The charity Hospice UK welcomed the news with caution, with chief executive Toby Porter commenting: “Today’s update is a critical first step towards making palliative and end-of-life care fit for the future, but proper accountability and sustainable funding will be critical to making this a reality.”

Having warned that three-quarters of English hospices are already running a deficit this year, Hospice UK has issued a four-point plan for fair hospice funding.

These are full funding of specialist palliative care provided by hospices, proper NHS contracts for hospices, funding to cover the cost of NHS pay rises for hospice staff and national accountability for equitable provision of palliative care, wherever you live.

It’s calling on the government to take urgent action by following this plan.

At its Annual Representative Meeting at the end of June, the British Medical Association (BMA) affirmed its policy on assisted dying, calling for no doctor to be disadvantaged for choosing not to participate should the law change.

“The BMA remains neutral to the central question around assisted dying – that is, whether the law should change or not. However, as the voice of doctors, who in turn are advocates for patients, where there are moves to change the law, we will not stay silent on an issue that will significantly impact the profession and those we care for,” said BMA medical ethics committee chair Andrew Green emphasising that the BMA would continue to represent doctors to ensure they are supported and protected alongside their patients the issue.