BMJ  2003;327:176-177 (26 July), doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7408.176

Editorial

Palliative care needs of minorities

Understanding their needs is the key

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The opportunity to die with dignity is recognised by health professionals the world over as one of the most fundamental of all human rights. What is often forgotten is that notions of a good death vary considerably between cultures (and individuals within a culture), raising the risk of misunderstanding and cultural insensitivity.¹ This need not be the case, as our experiences show. Even in ethnically and religiously diverse modern Britain, receiving high quality care at the end of life is possible and may, we hope, soon be probable for all.^{2 3} Realising this aspiration will need fundamental changes on at least three fronts: tackling institutional discrimination in the provision of palliative care, progress in incorporating transcultural medicine into medical and nursing curriculums, and a greater willingness on the part of healthcare providers to embrace complexity and in so doing develop a richer appreciation of the challenges facing people from minority communities . . . [Full text of this article]

Manor Hospital, Walsall WS2 9PS (steadmana@walsallhospitals.nhs.uk)

Acorns Children Hospice Trust, Birmingham B13 9EZ

St George's Hospital Medical School, London SW17 0RE

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