The Revd Writes…
The rejection, in September, by the House of Commons of the Bill to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales brought again to the fore the tension between those advocating a pro-choice approach to this emotive subject and those anxious to protect vulnerable people from being manipulated into ending their lives. The divide in Parliament was close, reflecting hard fought campaigns on both sides of the debate, leaving many people disappointed and many people relieved. What is certain is that the issue will continue to provoke strong feelings though it would seem there is little appetite for further debate in the Lords and Commons for now.
A positive consequence of the debate however has been to raise the issue of funding for palliative care and more specifically the plight of hospices. Dame Cicely Saunders (born in Barnet, Hertfordshire) founded the world’s first purpose-built hospice, St Christopher’s in 1967. Since then, the hospice movement has flourished. The holistic approach to care of the dying and terminally ill, with emphasis on treating psychological pain and spiritual distress, alongside expert managing of physical pain, is now widely recognised to be ‘gold standard’ in the hospice setting. This is not to deny the very good work done by hospital and community palliative care teams. However, the truth of the matter is that the availability of hospice beds is often inadequate to meet demand; a demand that will only continue to grow by an ageing population. It can feel like a postcode lottery when trying to access the best possible care for a loved one in need. When a hospice is full – it is full.
Born out of the charitable sector, the funding of hospices has always been a bit precarious. The present model is that hospices are now part funded through the NHS and part funded through charitable giving. This 50-50 split has left some hospices hard pressed with a number having to reduce services. Hospice funding is in crisis and means that unless resolved at the national level then many dying people will not be able to access hospice care in the future. Supporting hospice charity shops and dedicating a collection at a funeral to a local hospice does make a real difference, yet how we fund end of life care needs more than this. An issue we all need to seriously contemplate.
The beginning of November sees the Commemoration of All Souls in our Churches. Part of the season of Remembrance, it is an opportunity to hold gently, souls we have lost in death, lives still loved and cherished in memory. It is also an opportunity to give thanks to God for all who work in palliative care. Their service to caring for those in the hour of need is not to be taken for granted.
God Bless
Mark