I believe that the Strategic Framework for Action on Palliative and End of Life Care has captured the core issues that face us in improving care in Scotland for people with life limiting illness and those close to them. The Scottish Government’s document avoids the pitfalls of ‘top-down’ and ‘checklist’ directives, but provides a clear vision and… Continue reading
வேலூர் கிறித்தவ மருத்துவக் கல்லூரி மருத்துவமனையில் ஆதரவு சிகிட்சைத்துறையில் ஆயராகப் பணியாற்ற 2004 – ம் ஆண்டு அழைப்புப் பெற்றேன். அப்போது தான் குணப்படுத்த இயலாத கொடிய நோய்களால் பாதிகப்பட்டவர்கள் மற்றும் மரணத்தருவாயில் இருப்போரைக் கவனிப்பதற்காக சிகிச்சை பிரிவு என்று ஒன்று இருப்பதை தெரிந்து கொண்டேன். அனைத்து மக்களும் ஒரு நாள் மரணத்தை சந்தித்தே ஆகவேண்டும். கொடிய நோய்களின் பாதிப்பால் மரணத்தை சந்திக்கிறவர்களின் எண்ணிக்கை நாளுக்கு நாள் அதிகரித்துக்கொண்டேயிருக்கிறது. புற்று நோய் போன்ற கொடிய உயிர்க் கொல்லி… Continue reading
Approaching the podium at a recent global health colloquium, I spotted something which I hadn’t seen before: a tiny set of traffic lights designed to cue the speakers and help with their timing. As I stepped up it wasn’t the sight of this innovative time-keeping device but an awareness of the delegates, the global experts on palliative care… Continue reading
Marie Curie Scotland and the University of Glasgow co-hosted a seminar End of life care in Scottish hospitals: opportunities for wider engagement. Full coverage of the event is now available. The seminar provided a platform for discussion about end of life care in Scotland, focusing on the healthcare and policy implications of research into the imminence… Continue reading
It is a rare experience in an academic career to carry out a project with a simple research question, to publish the findings and then to find there is unprecedented interest from many quarters. That was how things worked out with our study of the imminence of death among a national cohort of hospital inpatients,… Continue reading
Can you imagine fifty medical students and fifty palliative care practitioners giving up what might be the last warm, sunny Saturday of the year to attend a symposium about someone who was born ninety seven years ago? The attendees’ attraction and motivation would have to be high. And so they were on 17 October at… Continue reading
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been reflecting on how generous people can be with their time and their experiences, even when times are impossibly tough. I’ve worked for the charity Parkinson’s UK for the last eight years. In that time I have met hundreds of people whose reality is dominated by the emotional and… Continue reading
The grandeur of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh’s interior faded in the background as friendly smiles, warm handshakes and engaging conversations over teas and coffees filled the room giving a great ambience for the start of the Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care Annual Conference 2015. The astonishing range of professions represented displayed the… Continue reading
