When the saints go marching on.
Having worked as a specialty doctor in palliative care for the past 6 years and now returning to general practice, I have become increasingly uncertain as to the future role of in-patient hospices. Perhaps the time has come for a realistic look at where exactly they fit in to the bigger picture of end-of-life care. Of particular concern is whether their existence inhibits the development of other services and fuels the myth that palliative care is different from simply good care.
GP and former specialty doctor in palliative care.
Anthony
A
Waite
D006738:Hospices / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D010166:Palliative Care; D010820:Physicians; D013222:State Medicine; D006113:United Kingdom