If the next parliament runs its full course, about 3 million people will die in the United Kingdom. Millions more of us will be bereaved. That this is our future is the one thing that we all definitely have in common. Yet in general terms we are very bad at talking about it. Death and dying has often been described as the last taboo left standing in the West.
This has consequences. Making sure everybody has good end of life care hasn't been a major public and political priority, although that is now beginning to change. Services haven't been designed to enable people to get the care they want, when and where they need it. Most of us won't die where we want to (home in most cases); instead most of us die in hospital. Over half of the most serious complaints about acute hospitals concern end of life care.
The Dying Matters coalition has just been set up to raise public awareness about death, dying and bereavement and help us all become much better-informed and more confident about talking about and planning end of life care. Ultimately the aim is to change societal behaviour - talk needs to bear fruit. A good death should become the norm.
So this is really important. Do come to our fringe meeting at the Party conference. The panel includes;
- Nadine Dorries MP
- Anne Milton (Shadow Health Minister)
- Paul Woodward (Chief Executive, Sue Ryder Care)
- (me!) Simon Chapman (National Council for Palliative Care)
Tuesday 7.30-9.00. Charter 2, Manchester Central (GMEX). Food & drink will be served. It would be great to see you there.
More details are here: Download Conservatives
