End of Life Care Policy Across the United Kingdom, Cyprus, and Romania

End-of-life care, a critical facet of health and social care provision, addresses the complex needs of individuals in the final stages of life and extends support to their families and friends. Its formal recognition and structured development within the UK's healthcare system can be traced back to 1967, when Dame Cicely Saunders, established the first Hospice organisation, offering care to those at the end of their lives. However, the precise definition and characteristics of end-of-life care, and the concept of quality within this context, remain contested. This chapter explores the intricate landscape of end-of-life care, elucidating its historical definitions, evolving definitions, and the policy contexts in the United Kingdom, Cyprus, and Romania. It is not an exhaustive account of either, but it draws conclusions of the intricate relationships between epistemological and policy contexts in end-of-life care.