Palliative care and end of life care enable people of all ages to live well in the last years, months, weeks, days and hours of their life through high quality, personalised care.

More than half a million people die each year in England. This is expected to increase to over 650,000 by 2040.

As more people are living with multiple complex health conditions, the need for high quality palliative and end of life care is increasing. This includes 86,000 children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions who could benefit from palliative care.

Context and challenges

• Many people feel uncomfortable talking about their wishes for the end of their life. Yet not talking about it denies the person the opportunity to fully participate in discussions and decisions about their current and future care.
• Dying, death and bereavement are not solely health and social care events; they affect every aspect of people’s lives and experience, and that of the people close to them.
• Progress in palliative care and end of life care will support delivery of the 10 Year Health Plan for England by:

• • enabling more personalised coordinated care in community settings
  • reducing avoidable hospital use
  • improving experience and outcomes for people approaching the end of life

This aligns with the plans to shift care from hospital to community.