St Luke’s Hospice, based in Kenilworth, Cape Town, has been providing palliative care to people who are approaching the end of their lives since 1980. A team of skilled professional staff and volunteers improves the quality of life of these patients through early identification, impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and the other physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of the patients and their families. This is given, irrespective of the patient’s ability to pay for the service.