Jane Turner argues for both better palliative care and legal assisted dying
Jane Turner writes that improving end-of-life treatment and permitting assisted dying should happen together in the UK.
Personal experience drives the argument
The author states her husband died from bowel cancer after six years of treatment. He spent his final three months in a hospice receiving standard care. She describes severe suffering that existing treatments could not control or prevent.
Funding gaps limit current options
Most hospices operate as charities with very little state funding available to them. The writer claims better palliative services would reduce needless suffering for many patients. She notes that financial resources alone cannot provide every person with their desired outcome.
Two solutions work together
The letter suggests that improving care and legalising assisted dying are not rivals to each other. Doing both would free hospice beds for those who still want them. The author concludes that these two approaches should be pursued simultaneously.
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