Primary care must be prioritised to achieve universal palliative care

Universal palliative care can only be achieved through primary care More people worldwide are living with serious illness and the suffering associated with it, meaning that the need for good palliative care and end-of-life care is rising. 1 The progression of the Terminally Ill Adults Bill through parliament has sparked new media and political interest in palliative and end-of-life care.Narratives pervade about challenges and failures in the delivery of palliative and end-of-life care, and the associated pain and distress experienced by patients.In England, 1% of the population dies every year, over 500 000 people, and this is expected to increase to over 640 000 by 2040. 2 More people are dying in the community, with 57% of deaths occurring in community settings in 2023/2024, including in people's homes (28%), care homes (22%), hospices and other residential settings (7%).Palliative care is an approach focused on improving quality of life for people with life-threatening illness, through the timely identification and management of physical, psychological, social, and spiritual (or cultural) needs.