§ Lorna FitzsimonsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will ensure that the new clinical guidance indicators cover palliative care in hospitals; [88668]
28W(2) what his Department is doing to ensure that hospitals fulfil their duty to ensure palliative care is delivered to a high quality in a hospital setting. [88665]
§ Mr. HuttonIn June 1998, the Department endorsed and distributed throughout the National Health Service, under Health Service Circular 1998/115, three documents of good practice in palliative care produced by the National Council for Hospice and Specialist Palliative Care Services, which were already widely used in the voluntary sector. One of these was "Palliative Care in the Hospital Setting", which describes key aspects of palliative care provision in the hospital setting.
The other two documents were "Guidelines for Managing Pain in Adults" and "Changing Gear—Guidelines for Managing the Last Days of Life in Adults".
The Department is currently working to develop national standards and performance indicators for cancer. This will include work on palliative care.