By Dr Matthew Doré (Chair of Palliative Care Congress) and HAL (Heuristically programmed Algorithmic computer) CHATGPT – https://chat.openai.com/chat As the years passed, John began to feel a sense of disconnection from the person he had always thought he was. He had always been a hardworking and ambitious man, but as he approached the end […]
Latest articles
It’s not about the antibiotics
By Dr Joseph Hawkins, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, Clinical lead for End of Life Care, Ashford and St Peter’s NHS Foundation Trust. Twitter: @JoeHawk75825077 The cough is getting worse, Breathing-once a silent unnoticed activity Punctuating the stillness between sentences Now a cacophony of rasps and gurgles Such an undertak-… a challenge (Let’s avoid some words). […]
Doctor Informed Podcast: DNACPR
BMJ Podcast by BMJ Talk Medicine In this episode of the Doctor Informed podcast, the topic of discussion is Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) decisions. The panel, which includes a patient, reflect on the importance of clinicians holding discussions about future end-of-life care as a way of informing and giving choices. The conversation […]
My Wishes – Newham Council Launch
NEWS Overview At 9am on Tuesday 17th January 2023 Newham Council in the UK released a special future care, digital legacy and end of life planning platform for Newham residents. It is free to use and includes real-time support from charitable organisations working within the borough. MyWishes have produced a bespoke, localised version to suit local needs […]
Medical Death Certification. Do we need medical training before medical examiners?
By Dr Pablo Millares Martin. GP Senior Partner. Whitehall Surgery, Wortley Ring Rd. Leeds, UK. E-mail: Pablo.martin@nhs.net Introduction The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) is a very important legal document with dual functionality: to provide the information required for the registration of a death, but also to facilitate statistical comparisons of mortality causes, […]
Poem: A New Year Resolution.
By Dr Joseph Hawkins, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, Clinical lead for end of life care, Ashford and St Peter’s NHS Foundation Trust. A New Year Resolution. Sparklers shine, smoke all around, Fireworks leap as corridors fill Manager’s myopically seeing only the bill, Desperate searching, no solution to be found. The hospital is burning down. […]
The Palliative Times Special Festive Edition.
By Dr Joseph Hawkins, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, Clinical lead for End of Life Care, Ashford and St Peter’s NHS Foundation Trust. Twitter: @JoeHawk75825077 93 year old celebrates third resurrection. Doris (93), recently celebrated with all 24 of her next of kin after a week of not eating and drinking. ‘They keep saying I’m going […]
Creation of a new palliative care ward-a one year retrospective.
By Dr Joseph Hawkins, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, Clinical lead for End of Life Care, Ashford and St Peter’s NHS Foundation Trust. Contributor- Mrs Susan Dargan Nurse consultant and lead CNS, nurse lead for End of Life Care, Ashford and St Peter’s NHS Foundation Trust. One of the initial concept drawings of the eternal garden […]
At risk feeding?
By Dr Matthew Doré (Chair of Palliative Care Congress) and Dr Alan McPherson (Chair of The Regional Palliative Medicine Group) “I don’t want thickener!”, “I want to eat it, not down my RIG” or most commonly “I want my roast dinner and all the trimmings, not smooshed!” Sound familiar? There has been an ongoing debate […]
They told me not to go: Flat Holm Island, Wales
by Mark Taubert, Palliative Care Consultant, Cardiff University, Wales, United Kingdom Twitter: @ProfMarkTaubert A trip to a remote island with a derelict cholera hospital, to record a National Heritage Lottery funded audio podcast about pandemics, palliative care and isolation, inadvertently turns into an adventure. Flat Holm, or ‘Ynys Echni’, its Welsh name, is […]