Abstract
<jats:p>Palliative care is the active, holistic care of patients with advanced progressive illness. It places equal importance on an individual's physical, emotional, spiritual and social needs. End‐of‐life care is an important part of palliative care and is the care provided for patients who are likely to die in the next 12 months. It is the responsibility of all health and social care professionals who provide day‐to‐day care to assess and meet the needs of patients and their families within their limits and know when to seek advice from or refer to a specialist palliative care service. Screening tools used and the weighing of patients will vary depending on where the patient is based, local policy and practice. In addition to providing nutrients, nutrition has important psychological, social, spiritual and cultural roles in the palliative stages of illness.</jats:p>