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Objective To identify major concerns of national and local importance in the provision, commissioning, research, and use of generalist end of life care.

Design A national consultation and prioritising exercise using a modified form of the nominal group technique.

Participants Healthcare practitioners, commissioners, academics, and representatives of user and voluntary groups.

Setting Primary and secondary care, specialist palliative care, and academic and voluntary sectors in England and Scotland.

Results 74% of those invited (210/285) participated. The stage of life to which “end of life care” referred was not understood in a uniform way. Perceptions ranged from a period of more than a year to the last few days of life. Prominent concerns included difficulties in prognosis and the availability of adequate support for patients with advanced non-malignant disease. Generalists in both primary and secondary care were …