Key Summary
- The Royal College of Pharmacy has welcomed the government’s acceptance of a parliamentary report aiming to overhaul patchy palliative care access.
- Key initiatives include a 24/7 care framework, streamlined medication access, and a single shared patient record across healthcare boundaries.
- The College urges the NHS to fully integrate pharmacists into community multidisciplinary teams to eliminate fragmented care.
The Royal College of Pharmacy has welcomed the government's acceptance of recommendations from the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee to improve access to palliative and end-of-life care.
The government’s upcoming Modern Service Framework (MSF) looks to address systemic gaps by developing a 24/7 care framework, improving out-of-hours medication access, and implementing a single, unified electronic patient record.
Amandeep Doll, Director of the Royal College of Pharmacy in England, said: “We welcome the Government's acceptance of recommendations to improve access to palliative and end-of-life care.
“Timely access to medicines and support from pharmacy teams must be a core part of any successful model of palliative care. Pharmacists help people manage symptoms, access urgent medicines and receive care in the setting of their choice.
A core element of the government's response is a commitment to resolving fragmented information technology infrastructure across the NHS. The Royal College of Pharmacy has long argued that a lack of communication between hospitals, GPs, and community clinics leads to dangerous delays in securing controlled end-of-life medications.
"We are also pleased to see support for a single patient record," Doll noted. "Better sharing of patient information across healthcare services would improve communication, support safer clinical decisions and help deliver more joined-up care."
The profession already has quality frameworks ready to support the expansion. The College highlighted that its existing clinical initiatives directly match parliament's goals for raising standards on the ground.
“Our own position on palliative care aligns with many of the recommendations. Our Daffodil Standards provide a quality improvement framework which helps the whole pharmacy team to improve the care provided to patients needing palliative and end of life care.
“As the NHS seeks to deliver more care closer to home through the 10-year Health Plan, pharmacists must be fully integrated into multidisciplinary teams so patients and their families can access timely, coordinated support when they most need it.”
The policy shift comes as the broader health service prepares for structural transformations under the government's upcoming 10-year Health Plan, which focuses heavily on shifting resource allocation from hospitals into community neighborhoods.
The Royal College of Pharmacy confirmed it will continue to collaborate with national commissioning leads and partner organizations to ensure clinical pharmacy remains central to delivering accessible, compassionate end-of-life services across the country.
