Palliative care is an approach which aims to improve the quality of life and overall wellbeing of someone living with a life-limiting illness and those close to them, including family members and carers. 

You can have palliative care at any stage in your illness, and it can be provided alongside any other treatments, therapies and medicines aimed at controlling your illness, such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy. 

Palliative care also includes caring for people who are nearing the end of life – this is often called end-of-life care.