Death and dying has become an over institutionalised and fragmented ecosystem. The value of death is no longer recognised, the role of communities has receded, and actors work in silos, preventing collaborative learning and human centred approaches that could transform the experience of dying. 44% of deaths in England occur in hospitals despite patients overwhelmingly expressing a desire to die at home. Over treatment at the end of life is expensive and can deprive individuals and their families the chance to plan for death.

Rebalancing death and dying will require radical systems change, involving the many inter-related social, cultural, economic, religious, and political factors that determine how death, dying, and bereavement are understood, experienced, and managed. At Social Finance, we have been working with Libby Sallnow, co-commissioner of the Lancet Commission on the Value of Death to understand how we can bring about such change.

People were invited to bring their experience, ideas, and concerns to an interactive conversation on rebalancing death and dying. The focus was to think about concepts such as healthy dying, priorities for action and how to achieve buy-in from the many different individuals, groups and organisations that will have a stake in establishing the value of death.