The Daily Malicious has been telling half truths again.
It seems to have been offended about a drive to ask patients about what preferences they have for care. Under guidance from the Department of Health, through NHS England, GP's in England have been encouraged to arrange care plans for people who are more likely to have to go to hospital than others. These care plans document issues like next of kin, medications, allergies, the place where a person would like to be looked after when unwell, and to the apparent horror of the Daily Malicious asking people what views they have on resuscitation.
It appears that there are those who consider this to be encouraging euthanasia which is sad. It is a view shared by many in healthcare that attitudes against discussing things like this are bad for patients. It is bad enough that the Liverpool Care Pathway was abandoned. I am not going to say that there were no issues involving it, but this was with people who were not following it properly, forgetting that the aim of it was to allow people to die with dignity. The solution then was not to get rid of it, but rather to train healthcare professionals to use it properly.
And now it appears that there may be a campaign against helping people be involved in healthcare decisions. Dying Matters, it happens to us all, and working in healthcare, I have seen many horrible deaths. It is my aim that no one else should have to see those deaths, that the families do not have to live with the guilt that a loved one was not allowed to pass away in peace and most importantly, that someone who is to die, has a say in passing away peacefully, if that is what they want. Discussing matters like this takes time, if a GP surgery is to do this and still provide the care to patients they are meant to do, then they will need funding to hire the extra staff needed to meet this extra work.
And just in case anyone forgets, euthanasia is illegal in the UK.
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