We must apply the lessons learnt from cancer (often slowly and painfully) to the growing number of people now dying from non-malignant illnesses. New theoretical insights into the trajectories of decline in a range of long term conditions—together with technical developments that aid the delivery of care in people’s own homes and the timeless clinical qualities of listening, compassion, empathy, and inspiring hope—mean that we now have the means to make a real difference to the lives of so many people in the throes of their final illness and to the lives of their loved ones. Getting end of life care “right” lies at the heart of what it means to be a civilised society, and thus prioritising this area needs no apologies.

In 2005 cancer was responsible for a relatively small percentage of deaths worldwide (13%), while other long …