BMJ  2007;334:599 (24 March), doi:10.1136/bmj.39156.518461.FA

Letters

A good death

We need a mix of care in the NHS

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

I have a similar story to Newton's about the death of my father last year.¹ He was 78 and for more than 20 years had seen his mobility and independence slowly eroded by multiple sclerosis. He developed a chest infection over Christmas but had strongly protested his desire to stay at home, which became impossible as pressure sores developed.

The first 11 weeks were spent in an acute medical ward. The doctors actively treated him with intravenous antibiotics, insulin infusions for diabetes, and a nasogastric tube. The emphasis was on "getting him better" so he continued to receive unpleasant active intervention despite my remonstrations that palliative care was much more appropriate. His complex illness improved, but he could not eat or look after himself: the ward was busy and he was in the wrong place. He became withdrawn and unresponsive. His pressure sores continued to get worse, and he became . . . [Full text of this article]

Meddygfa Gyffin, Conwy LL32 8LT

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This article has been cited by other articles:

• McKinstry, B. (2008). Copying patients in is not as simple as it seems. BMJ 337: a2687-a2687 [Full text]  
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