The nurses provide care, advice and respond to emergencies Hugh Grant

He has thrown his weight behind a scheme pioneered by Marie Curie Cancer Care, which gives terminally ill patients the option of dying at home.

The charity wants �6m from government to roll the scheme out nationwide.

At the end of her life, Grant's mother was cared for by Marie Curie nurses, whom the actor described as "angels".

"It may be a cliche, but they really are. They came in, cared for my mum, chatted - they made it all possible."

He said that while the majority of people, when asked, wanted to die at home, not enough people knew about the services offered by the charity - which cares for those with a range of terminal illnesses.

"People worry that they are going to be a burden to their family if they stay at home, but if you've got a Marie Curie nurse who can help with everything from the bed pans to pain relief, it really is an option," he said.

"It can be very depressing to see someone die in a hospital bed. If you can have everyone around you - making jokes, laughing - as far as they can, having a cosy time, that's really what you need."

Rapid response

Marie Curie Cancer Care is currently piloting what is has called the "Delivering Choice" scheme in four areas of the country.

The experience has left me a very big fan of their organisation Hugh Grant Dying at home 'must be an option'

As well as offering routine care and advice, it involves a so-called Rapid Response team, who can come out in place of an ambulance in an emergency and frequently prevent readmission to hospital.

It is widely acknowledged that many patients never return once a readmission occurs.

The charity argues that its pilot schemes show overall costs to the NHS are reduced - in part by keeping people out of hospital beds.

The government has written to health authorities encouraging them to back the programme - but it says ultimately these decisions must be taken locally.

But it also pledged at the last election to double the investment going into palliative care services, giving more people the choice to be treated at home.

"They did commit in their 2005 manifesto to do more for end of life care," says Grant.

"The government hasn't stumped up that money yet, which really, in terms of the broader NHS, isn't very much at all."