End of life care in England: A briefing paper

Article

Death is an inevitable part of life. We will all die and almost all of us will experience the death of someone close to them. Dying is an incredibly important life stage, but for too many people the end of life can often be an unnecessarily difficult experience.

Every year in England and Wales over 500,000 people die. For three-quarters of these people, death does not come suddenly. Instead, dying is a process that may take days, weeks or even years, involving a progressive decline in functioning and frequent interactions with health professionals. During this time, many receive some form of end of life care, designed to ease any pain or distress caused by their symptoms, and to maximise their quality of life until the moment of their death.

The value of this care cannot be understated, not just for those people who are reaching the end of their lives but also for their families and carers.


Related items

  1. The health mandate: The voters' verdict on government intervention

    The nation’s health is now a top-tier political issue.

  2. Reclaiming social mobility for the opportunity mission

    Every prime minister since Thatcher has set their sights on social mobility. They have repeated some version of the refrain that your background should not hold you back and hard work should be rewarded by movement up the social and…
  3. A photo of a hospital corridor. A bed on wheel sits waiting while a person in scrubs runs away blurred in the distance

    Realising the reform dividend: A toolkit to transform the NHS

    Building an NHS fit for the future is a life-or-death challenge.