On 9 March 2018, in a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court of India ruled that “‘passive euthanasia’ is lawful and legally permissible in this country”. What is the significance of this judgement, what are its implications for end of life care in India and what will the general public understand about this constitutional development? The key… Continue reading
I met David more years ago than probably either of us care to remember, when I was appointed to my first research post at the University of Sheffield. We have both moved since then – I’m now in New Zealand and David obviously in Dumfries – so it was great to be invited to visit… Continue reading
Having returned this week to Spain after a year spent working with the Glasgow End of Life Studies Group at the University of Glasgow, it is time to reflect on the experience. I’d like to weigh up the balance of my experiences there, and to try to explain what has changed for me and why.… Continue reading
Copenhagen was home to Hans Christian Anderson and Soren Kierkegaard, so at this conference I was hoping for a stimulating mix of narrative and reflection. That was certainly present in some of the sessions. There were good stories to be told and some deep thinking in evidence about the challenges that palliative care faces. The… Continue reading
Our University of Glasgow study team, supported by a Wellcome Trust Investigator Award, is examining how responses to end of life issues are developing around the world, and with what consequences. Death, dying and bereavement are topics that mainly sit on the margins of the humanities and social sciences. Whilst end of life care attracts… Continue reading
So, another year and another trip to India. During the last three years I have travelled to various cities of India to attend the yearly conferences of the Indian Society for the Study of Pain (ISSP) and the Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPC) in order to collect data for my social science doctorate, looking… Continue reading
Just before Easter 1961, Cicely Saunders sat down to send greetings to a colleague. It was someone who shared her interests in developing special facilities and approaches for the care of the dying – especially those with advanced cancer. Nothing unusual in that. She was now getting into her stride with a growing ambition… Continue reading
I have just attended for the first time the annual meeting of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, held jointly with the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association. The venue was Philadelphia – the city of brotherly love – and over 3,000 people attended, mainly from the USA, but with small numbers from some… Continue reading
