Adult community specialist palliative care in north west London - Update: March 2026

We know that needing palliative or end-of-life care can be an incredibly difficult and uncertain time for people and their families. Clear information, timely support and knowing where to turn can make a real difference.

This update sets out how adult community specialist palliative and end-of-life care is improving across North West London, what support is already in place, and what further changes are coming over the next two years.

Since 2021, we have been working closely with residents, families, clinicians, hospices and community groups to understand what really matters when people need specialist palliative and end‑of‑life care.

Together, we co‑developed a new model of care that is compassionate, fair and built around people’s needs. It supports the national ambition for personalised, high‑quality end‑of‑life care and reflects the priorities and experiences shared during extensive engagement and the public consultation between November 2024 and February 2025.

Thanks to additional funding secured in July 2025, we began rolling out improvements from October 2025 with an expectation all improvements will be in place by October 2027. Many people across North West London are already benefiting from better access, longer service hours and strengthened support.

This update is part of an open approach to sharing progress, and we will continue to provide regular updates as services develop.

Progress since our last update

• Launch of the Hammersmith and Fulham Hospice at Home service. More information can be found on the website - St John’s Hospice brings 24-hour specialist care into homes across Hammersmith & Fulham :: North West London ICS.
• Launch of an expanded Lymphoedema service for non-cancer patients in Harrow.
• Continuing to onboard providers to the new data reporting system ensuring the collation of more detailed information on specialist palliative care services to monitor delivery of intended outcomes and ensure alignment to the needs of north west London residents.
• Continuing to work through the operating model  for a single 24/7 telephone advice line for north west London, with calls routed in via NHS 111, ensuring we have the right workforce and pathways to improve care coordination and access to timely, specialist advice and support for palliative care patients.  This includes work to ensure that operational systems are in place to access the necessary information required to give patients the best support.
• We are continuing to work with different communities to co-design resources to support better access to services, with the aim of reducing inequalities. Materials have been designed and are being refined with feedback to ensure they meet the needs of different communities.
• A Hounslow and Ealing Palliative and End of Life Care workshop took place in March to look at integration across the entire palliative and end of life care pathway, with all delivery service partners across the two Boroughs present, with actions being taken forward to improve integration and coordination of care.
• St Luke’s inpatient unit is undergoing a refurbishment, making improvements to the environment to care for people who need this service. The works are expected to be completed by July.

What are our priorities over the next 3 weeks

• Continue with recruitment processes to expand services, including interviews and onboarding new staff, for the following service areas:
  • Expanded Community Specialist palliative care teams for Harrow, North Brent, Hounslow and Ealing
  • Expansion of staffing for the Hounslow and Ealing Inpatient unit at Meadow House Hospice to enable admission of patients into inpatient beds over the weekend
• Continuing with planning for the implementation of the enhanced EoLC beds, working with lead providers around how the beds will work operationally and assessing potential bed locations ready to engage with the public on for further feedback and refinement.
• Agree the lead provider for the Ealing and Hounslow Hospice at Home Services and agree implementation timescales. 

Where are we up to implementing new and enhanced services that are being introduced in 2026:

Our ongoing commitment

We remain firmly committed to:

• Providing compassionate, personalised care for everyone who needs it.
• Making services easier to navigate and more consistent across North West London.
• Continuing open conversations with communities, patients, carers and partner organisations.
• Ensuring every improvement reflects what matters most to the people we serve.

We know that palliative and end-of-life care is not something people plan for, and that needs can change quickly. Support is available now, and services will continue to improve over the coming months and years. We remain committed to providing compassionate, high-quality care for everyone who needs it, and to being open and clear with patients, families and communities as this work continues.