title: System failure.
abstract: ROSIE DIED today and the co-operation and collaboration of well-meaning nurses couldn't help her. In her last few weeks of life she cried herself to sleep most nights. Rosie didn't cry because she was dying of cancer; she didn't cry because the chemotherapy and radiotherapy turned out to be ineffective. Rosie cried because the system failed her and those of us who knew her were, in the end, powerless to give her what she wanted most.
authors.affiliation: South Bank University and King's College.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nazarko