BMJ  2003;327:224 (26 July), doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7408.224

Letter

In search of a good death

What is a good death?

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

EDITOR—Ellershaw and Ward describe how access to good palliative care should be available to all patients who are dying.¹ We agree that equity of access is crucially important but disagree with the implied definition of what a good death is.

The authors imply that a good death is one that is pain free, dignified, and one in which active resuscitation never occurs. If this is what the patient has requested, either verbally or through an advance directive, then this would be appropriate. However, we think that death can at times be unfair and premature and that a calm good death may not be what such a patient wishes. Such patients may wish to "rage against the dying of the light,"² may never accept their end calmly, and may not wish to be pain free. The concept of a patient not wishing to be pain free and peaceful is . . . [Full text of this article]

j.jones.1@bham.ac.uk

Department of Primary Care, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT

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This article has been cited by other articles:

• Hendrickson, K., McCorkle, R. (2008). A Dimensional Analysis of the Concept: Good Death of a Child With Cancer. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing 25: 127-138 [Abstract]  
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