In July 2008 the Department of Health published the End of Life Care Strategy - promoting high quality care for all adults at the end of life. This second annual report sets out the continuing progress in implementing the strategy, highlights the need for further work and identifies the action intended for this coming year. The report details the progress made in improving standards of end of life care in England over the past year. It includes sections on: meeting the challenges of end of life care; death, dying and society; the end of life care pathway; care in different settings; support for carers and families; the end of life care workforce; measurement and research in end of life care; and making change happen.