Policy and public affairs

Working towards access to high quality end of life care and support for everyone

What happens to us and our families at the end of our lives affects us all.

Everyone should be able to access high quality care and the support they need at the end of their life in the place of their choice.

In many areas of the UK, care and support are not always available to people in need.

As well as not having the choice to die where they wish, research shows that people approaching the end of their life are not always afforded the dignity and respect they deserve.

Pressing hard

• We must encourage and hold open discussion in our society about death and dying, privately and publicly.
• Address the inequality, provision of care and support at the end of life geographically and across conditions.
• Call for further improvements in the way different sectors and agencies work together for the benefit of terminally ill people, their families and carers.
• Look farther ahead and plan for our futures. As a society, it is imperative that we confront the fact that the number of deaths in the UK is set to rise dramatically over the next 20 years.

These changes can only be made reality by collaboration between health and social care agencies and professionals, voluntary organisations, community groups and individuals working together to mobilise a community and meet the needs of the local population. We need your support to do this.

Why do we need your support now?

We need to keep talking about death and dying in order, where possible, to respond to each person’s preferences.

In recent years, society has had increased conversations about allowing more people, along with their families and carers, to choose what is best for them at the end of life. It is vital that we keep momentum going, because:

• Over 570,000 people in the UK die each year. About three quarters of deaths follow a period of chronic illness where people may need access to end of life care.
• Medical and scientific advancements mean that we are living longer and make possible the survival of long term chronic illness.
• It is estimated that by 2016 the population will increase to 65m and reach 71m by 2031 – with 22 per cent of people aged 65 and over.
• By 2031 it is projected that approximately 700,000 people will die annually in the UK. This means that the number of people requiring end of life care will rise significantly.

There is still a great deal to do to ensure that everyone is able to access high quality end of life care in the place of their choice.