Leaders’ Policy Briefing: Key updates

Together we campaign

UK-wide

We are part of government-backed review into the mental health impact of serious childhood illness on parents, siblings and families

Together for Short Lives is being contracted by CSES as part of a new government-commissioned review known as Hugh’s Report. We will lead a lived experience panel and focus groups of families to establish the support available, the gaps in services they experience and the impact this has on them.

England

Palliative and end of life care MSF update

NHS England (NHSE) is progressing the all-age palliative and end of life care modern service framework (MSF) towards publication this autumn. An early draft of the MSF document is being reviewed currently and will be iterated over the coming weeks.

Together for Short Lives is continuing to work to influence the MSF through our membership of the MSF steering group. The exact date for publication itself is still subject to discussions with ministers.

Working with NHSE, we have also held sessions for families of children with serious illness to make sure the MSF is informed by their experiences.

NHSE is exploring innovation opportunities that could improve:

• the way in which need is identified
• care coordination
• access to support closer to home
• personalised care
• timely palliative care responses

Further work on delivery requirements, metrics and implementation planning is also continuing.

Improving rapid access to palliative care

NHS England has begun a co-design programme to create a national rapid-access palliative and end of life care commissioning blueprint that will support ICBs to commission services more consistently, confidently and proactively.

The programme aims to reduce variation in commissioning practice, strengthen patient experience and outcomes, and decrease reliance on reactive Fast Track funding routes while protecting patients’ legal entitlements and choice.

Working with charities and sector partners, including Together for Short Lives, the programme will define minimum commissioning standards, evidence requirements, assurance arrangements and improvement support.

The blueprint will help regions assess commissioning quality consistently, identify areas for improvement and support systems to move towards more strategic, population-based approaches to palliative and end of life care.

Over the coming months, the working group will co-design the blueprint’s domains, metrics and assurance framework before testing it with selected ICBs. NHS England plans to roll out the final blueprint nationally in April 2027, helping prepare systems for future implementation of the Modern Service Framework for Palliative Care and End of Life Care.

Babies, children and young people MSF expected in September

NHS England is continuing to develop all the new MSFs as a connected set of programmes that complement rather than duplicate one another. Officials recognise the close relationship between the babies, children and young People (BCYP), mental health and palliative and end of life care (PEoLC) MSFs, with each framework contributing to shared goals while retaining a distinct focus.

We are emphasising the importance of clear links between neighbourhood health teams, specialist services and commissioning arrangements to ensure children with severe medical complexity do not fall through gaps in provision. NHS England is working with MSF teams to avoid placing conflicting requirements on ICBs, while supporting joined-up referral pathways and commissioning approaches.

Although England-wide outcome and process measures will provide consistency across England, local systems will retain flexibility to deliver services in ways that best meet population needs. Officials have also confirmed that MSFs are intended to evolve over time rather than remain static documents and are expected to be broadly cost-neutral across a 10-year period, while allowing opportunities for invest-to-save approaches.