Leaders’ Policy Briefing: Key updates

UK-wide

Government confirms day-one parental leave rights from April

The UK Government has confirmed that from April, parents will gain day-one eligibility for unpaid parental leave, ending the 26-week qualifying period. It is estimated that this will impact approximately 1.5 million parents, with an additional 32,000 more fathers gaining immediate access to paternity leave. The government estimates this could result in an economic boost of £150 million a year if 1% of those currently out of work due to caring responsibilities return part-time.

As part of the wider reforms, a new Bereaved Partner’s Paternity Leave entitlement will also provide up to 52 weeks of leave for partners whose child’s mother dies within the first year of birth.

Ministers say these reforms, which form part of the Employment Rights Act, will support over 18 million workers, improve job security and help more parents stay in work.

You can read more here.

England, Scotland & Wales

New online form for fast-track referrals to benefits at end of life

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has launched a new online service for clinicians to submit SR1 forms, providing medical evidence for patients claiming benefits under the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL). These rules give people nearing the end of life faster access to benefits, higher payments and exemption from medical assessments.

The online system is designed to be quicker and easier. Clinicians can log in with NHS details, follow clear guidance, no longer need a National Insurance number, receive instant submission confirmation and download a copy of the completed form.

DWP has advised that healthcare professionals should complete an SR1 for patients with a progressive disease where it would not be surprising if they were to live for less than 12 months. It can be completed after advance care planning discussions, during assessments of financial or social needs, or at the request of the patient or their representative. There are no negative consequences if a patient lives longer than expected.

You can access the online SR1 form here and further guidance on the special rules here.

England

Government confirms additional £25 million in capital funding for hospices

When giving evidence to the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee, the Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock, confirmed the government will be providing an additional £25 million in capital expenditure funding for both adult and children’s hospices.

This announcement follows the £100 million of capital funding that was distributed to hospices in 2025.

You can read our reaction to the news here.

Palliative and end of life care mentioned during Health and Social Care oral questions

During Health and Social Care oral questions on 13 January, Stuart Andrew (Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care) and Matt Bishop (Labour MP for Forest of Dean) pressed the Health Secretary on two key issues: the timeline for publishing the Modern Service Framework (MSF) and support for parent carers of children with life-limiting conditions.

Andrew emphasised the urgency of the MSF, noting its importance ahead of the House of Lords’ decision on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. In response, the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, confirmed that an initial update on the MSF will be provided in the Spring, with the full framework expected in the autumn. He assured MPs that stakeholders will not have to wait until the final publication to understand the government’s direction.

Addressing Bishop’s question, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Ashley Dalton, reiterated the government’s commitment to improving care and support. She highlighted that the Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock, chairs a cross-government meeting with Ministers from the Departments for Work and Pensions, Business and Trade, and Education to consider how to provide care as recognition and support is improved.

You can read the full transcript here.

House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee evidence session on palliative care

On 7 January, the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee held an evidence session on palliative and end of life care. The witnesses included Stephen Kinnock MP (Minister of State for Care), Dr Amanda Doyle (National Director for Primary Care and Community Services, NHS England), Dr Sarah Mitchell (National Clinical Director for Palliative and End of Life Care, NHS England) and Dr Edward Scully (Director for Primary and Community Health Care, Department of Health and Social Care).

During the session, several key points were raised in relation to the Modern Service Framework (MSF), commissioning of palliative and end of life care, funding and workforce.

• Modern Service Framework: Minister Kinnock confirmed that the MSF will now be published in Autumn 2026, with an interim report due in the Spring to provide an update on its development. Dr Amanda Doyle confirmed that children and young people’s palliative care will be referenced separately in the MSF and that the difference between children and adult’s palliative care will be made explicitly clear. Dr Sarah Mitchell highlighted the specific nuances within children’s palliative care and emphasised the need for a clear focus on antenatal palliative care and the transition into adult services.
• Commissioning: Dr Amanda Doyle acknowledged that several services require ICBs to commission jointly with neighbouring ICBs. She noted that NHS England is establishing specific, formalised pan-ICB commissioning arrangements within regions for services that are largely specialist. When questioned, she confirmed that such arrangements may be appropriate for children and young people’s services, but that it will ultimately be for individual ICBs to decide whether to commission jointly.
  Funding: Minister Kinnock stated that the UK currently spends £22 billion per year on people in their last year of life, with £12 billion of this allocated to NHS care. He stressed the importance of shifting funding away from secondary and acute care into community and primary care. He also confirmed his belief that money currently spent on hospital based palliative care could be redirected into the community to deliver a 24/7 national palliative helpline.
• Workforce: Minister Kinnock emphasised the importance of early identification, stressing the role played by GPs, and acknowledged the insufficient numbers of community nurses and the challenges of providing home-based care. He noted that the upcoming workforce plan will consider the range of professions across the workforce, including those involved in palliative and end of life care.

You can read the full transcript for the evidence session here.

Block contracts to end and faster data flows planned

When giving evidence to the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee on 12 January, NHS England Chief Executive, Sir Jim Mackey highlighted significant problems with the long-standing use of block contracts for commissioning palliative and end of life care. He claimed that these historical arrangements offered no clarity about what services were being purchased, resulting in inconsistent provision across regions and funding levels that were often not based on need. Sir Jim stated that over time, NHS England intends to “unbundle” these contracts so commissioners can specify and pay for defined levels of care, supported by national standards.

Building on this, Dr Amanda Doyle, National Director for Primary Care and Community Services at NHS England, explained that moving from grants to formal contracts—supported by the development of the Faster Data Flows Programme—will help close long‑standing gaps in data and oversight. She noted that some independent hospices are already being onboarded to automated, daily patient‑level data collection, with plans to bring many more into the system. She said the more hospices that participate, the stronger and more comprehensive the data will be. This improved insight will be essential in enabling the NHS to shift to properly commissioned contracts for palliative and end of life services, supporting better oversight and evaluation.

You can read the full transcript here.

National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation launches call for evidence

As part of the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation led by Baroness Amos, a call for evidence has been launched inviting women and families across England to share their experiences of maternity and neonatal care. The feedback will help shape the investigation’s findings and recommendations.

The call for evidence is open for eight weeks, from 20 January until 11:59 pm on 17 March 2026.

Two surveys are available:

• One for women and people who have been pregnant to share their own experiences of maternity and neonatal services.
• One for others who supported someone through pregnancy, such as fathers, non-birthing partners, family members, friends, or other support people.

Respondents must be aged 16 or over. Those under 16 can participate only with someone aged 16 or over.

More details, including how to take part, are available here.

Institute for Fiscal Studies publishes new report on education spending

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has published a new report which shows education spending as a share of national income to be at a historic low, while structural pressures, especially SEND, continue to grow. Specifically, the report identifies SEND as the single biggest driver of school budget stress.

Key findings in the report related to SEND include:

• SEND spending has nearly doubled in a decade —from £7.8 billion in 2015/16 to £11.8 billion in 2023/24—and is forecast to exceed £18 billion by 2028/29.
• The number of pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) has risen to 5.3%, with no sign of slowing, creating major capacity challenges.
• A £6 billion shortfall is projected by 2028/29, equal to 9% of all school funding.
• Local authority SEND-related deficits could reach £14 billion by 2027/28, with statutory protections ending in 2028.
• Over half of recent school funding increases have been absorbed by SEND, leaving mainstream per-pupil funding flat since 2015/16.

The report has identified SEND as the fastest-growing and most fiscally unsustainable area of education spending. It notes three possible options for the government:

1. Slow SEND-spending growth: Through reforms to EHCP processes, more mainstream inclusion capacity, and expanding state special school places.
2. Inject more money into schools overall.
3. Reduce mainstream budgets: The report notes that freezing per-pupil funding in real terms would release £1.8 billion by 2028/29 but would still leave £4 billion of the gap unfunded.

Overall, the report notes the importance of the forthcoming SEND white paper which is expected to outline government reforms including expanding SEND provision in mainstream schools to reduce pressure on specialist places.

You can access the full report here.

Northern Ireland

Finance Minister launches public consultation on draft multi-year budget for 2026-2029/30

Finance Minister, John O’Dowd, has launched a public consultation on his draft multi-year Budget for 2026-2029/30, urging people from all sectors to help shape the future of public services.

According to O’Dowd, a multi-year budget will offer government departments the stability required for long term planning and transformational reform. However, he has warned that reallocating resources will also involve difficult choices, as increases in one area inevitably mean reductions elsewhere.

Under the draft Budget proposals, around £26 million is earmarked for the health services over the next three years, including £495 million to reduce waiting lists, while almost £10 billion is set to be allocated to education. To improve support for children and young people with Special Educational Needs, the draft Budget so far includes £24 million for the SEN schools estate.

The consultation runs from 6 January to 3 March 2026 with full details available here.

Scotland

Scottish Government publishes draft Budget for 2026/27

The Scottish Government has published its draft budget for 2026/27 with a total of £22.5 billion allocated for the health and social care portfolio. This includes approximately £17.6 billion for NHS Boards alongside £2.3 billion for social care and integration. Additional funding aims to support improved terms and conditions for the social care workforce, enhanced primary care access, investment in mental health services, and capital commitments worth £1 billion for hospital replacements and community health infrastructure.

Within the budget, the government has also committed to providing £6.5 million for hospices in 2026/27, with further engagement planned to help achieve pay parity in the sector with NHS staff.

You can access the full draft budget here.

Disability and carer benefit transfer now complete in Scotland

More than 700,000 disability and carer benefit awards have now been successfully transferred from the Department for Work and Pensions to Social Security Scotland, as part of a major multiyear programme. This means that every carer and disabled person in Scotland who previously received Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance or Carer’s Allowance is now supported directly through the Scottish system, without needing to reapply or experiencing any break in payments.

The completion of case transfers now covers carers, child disability and working age disability benefits. By the end of December 2025, over 99% of pensioners receiving Attendance Allowance had also moved to the new system, with only the most complex cases remaining.

Scottish Government announces additional support for carers

The Scottish Government has announced an extra £1.1 million of investment to enable approximately 3,000 more parent carers of disabled or seriously ill children to take a break from their caring routine. The funding, which is being provided to Family Fund, through the Scottish Government’s Take a Break Scotland Scheme, will enable parent carers to receive cash grants to help finance a short break. As a result, there will be a total of over 8,500 breaks in 2025/26.

Grants will go to families who previously applied but missed out due to high demand.

You can read more here.

Wales

Senedd debate on financial support for the hospice and palliative care sector

On 21 January, Members of the Senedd debated the financial pressures facing hospices and palliative care services across Wales. During the debate, members highlighted the importance of hospices in providing holistic care, supporting families, and enabling people to remain at home where possible.

Key points raised by MSs during the debate included:

• In November 2025, both Tŷ Hafan and Tŷ Gobaith, were still waiting for confirmation of their share of the £3 million allocated in the Welsh Government’s budget, including timing of payments.
• They are calling for sustainable, ring-fenced funding, aiming for funding to cover 30% of care costs by 2030, though this would still be below the average for adult hospices.
• Funding for children’s hospices in Wales lags behind funding provided to adult and children’s hospices in England, and that lower spending risks long-term sustainability.

You can access the full transcript here.

Welsh Government publishes final budget for 2026/27

The Welsh Government has published its final budget for 2026/27, providing a total of £27.5 billion. Key allocations in the budget include:

• An additional £180 million for the NHS with the health and social care budget increasing by 3.6% to £12.6 billion.
• £112.8 million additional funding for local government, with all councils receiving increases of 4% or above.
• £4.2 million to support children with additional learner needs.

For commissioned hospices, the budget continues with the additional £3 million of recurring funding that was committed to in 2025/26.

Senedd to vote on powers to shape assisted dying law

On Tuesday 27 January, members of the Senedd will vote on a Legislative Consent Motion (LCM) relating to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

Importantly, this vote does not decide whether assisted dying should be legal in Wales. Instead, it will determine whether Wales has the powers to shape how the law is implemented for its people.

The LCM covers a small number of clauses designed to ensure Wales can tailor its own approach to assisted dying. These include:

• Ensuring people can provide information, undergo assessments, and receive reports in Welsh.
• Allowing Welsh Ministers to issue guidance that reflects the needs of Welsh communities.
• Enabling the Welsh healthcare system, including NHS Wales, to provide assisted deaths.
• Ensuring Wales is involved in monitoring and reporting on how the system operates.

If the Senedd refuses consent but the Bill passes at Westminster, Wales will lose the powers required to develop a public service‑led, Wales‑specific system.