Whilst death itself is something that most people understandably fear, it is often the process of dying that causes anxiety. And such anxiety is understandable when more than half of all hospital complaints relate to end-of-life care and treatment. However, the reality is that in twenty-first century Britain there is no need for anyone to suffer at the end of life.
In most cases, good quality end-of-life care (palliative care) can relieve much, if not all, of the suffering the dying process can cause. Palliative care in the UK has improved greatly in recent years. Britain is recognised as leading the world in the provision of end-of-life care. This is largely thanks to the dedication and hard work of palliative care professionals, hospices and organisations like Marie Curie Cancer Care and Macmillan Cancer Support. Nevertheless, there is a considerable way to go before we achieve universal access to the best care at the end of life, and efforts must be maintained by Dignity in Dying and other end-of-life care groups to ensure that this is achieved.
However, the fact remains that if we did have universal access to good quality end-of-life care, regardless of location or diagnosis, some people would still suffer in the last days and weeks of life. Like other branches of medical practice, there are limits to what good end-of-life care can achieve - with providers of end-of-life care acknowledging that it does not provide a ‘panacea’ to all the suffering the dying process can cause.
Dignity in Dying believes that suffering at the end of life should never be ignored, and that in years to come we will look back in astonishment at the lack of choice currently afforded to dying patients.
We can end suffering at the end of life. But improving access to end-of-life care can not achieve this alone, nor can legalising assisted dying. Taking action to bring about both will.