After what has been one of the most closely fought general elections in living memory, the UK now has a new government, and for the first time in close to 70 years it's a coalition government. That in itself is not unusual and there are many countries around the world who thrive on such arrangements despite the lack of an overall majority for any one political party. The potential for positive change with a fresh approach to the complex issues facing society is enormous, but also fraught with risk. The palliative care agenda in the UK has never been higher and we have at our fingertips the opportunity to transform end-of life care for people of all diagnoses in all environments over the next decade and beyond via the first coherent all-embracing government strategy (Department of Health, 2008). So far so good. The outgoing government have funded and supported this innovative initiative from tender shoots to the point where it is beginning to bear fruit, and the incoming government have made encouraging noises about continuity.
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