Seven days in medicine: 8-14 November 2017
BMJ 2017; 359 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j5283 (Published 16 November 2017) Cite this as: BMJ 2017;359:j5283
Budget
NHS “needs £4bn boost” in budget to protect care
The UK government must commit at least £4bn (€4.46bn; $5.26bn) more to the NHS in the autumn budget to prevent patient care from worsening next year, three leading healthcare think tanks warned. In a joint analysis issued ahead of the 22 November budget the Health Foundation, the King’s Fund, and the Nuffield Trust estimated that current government spending plans fall well short of what the NHS needs. They warned that patients will face longer waits for treatment, more service rationing, and deteriorating care. (Full story doi:10.1136/bmj.j5187)
Assisted dying
Euthanasia in the Netherlands rises by two thirds in five years
The number of people dying by euthanasia in the Netherlands has increased by 67% in the past five years. Cases are set to exceed 7000 this year, up from 4188 people in 2012 who met the criterion set out in 2002 legislation: a voluntary and well considered request in the context of unbearable suffering where there is no prospect of improvement and no alternative remedy. Steven Pleiter, director of the country’s only clinic specialising in euthanasia, said that the increase represented the end of “the taboo” on killing patients who want to die, and he …
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