Why we need to get people talking
A widely endorsed regional charter will ensure those who deliver care provide the kind of service and information that people want. It will also help people understand what kind of care and support they, or their loved ones, are entitled to.
Getting people to think and talk about their attitudes and feelings about death and dying will be a first step in helping to shape services and support to meet their needs and wants.
But don’t just take our word for it. The region’s experts are backing this important piece of work and have shared their thoughts on why the charter and the debate are important.
“The Good Death Charter is the start of a process to make sure our society responds with compassion to the needs of those people who are dying and also to their loved ones. This doesn’t just mean making sure that the right services are provided at the right time. It also means that we come together in communities and as a society to help and support each other through the difficult times that come with serious illness and death. Paradoxically, it is not principally about death – it is about living with dying and ensuring we live to the fullest of our potential with meaning and value in whatever time we have.”
Professor Edwin Pugh,
Consultant in Palliative Medicine
“We need to accept that death and dying is a wider public health issue. It’s difficult for many people to think about and discuss, but it really is the only thing that’s inevitable for all of us. Avoiding the discussion will not make it go away, so let’s have the debate and make it easier for people to talk about their views. It's time to bring death out of the closet.”
Stephen Singleton,
Regional Director of Public Health
“We simply don’t talk about it despite the fact that we all die. We want to change this. The Dying Matters Coalition, led by the National Council of Palliative Care, is engaging thousands of organizations to support conversations on dying, death and bereavement to make a good death a normal part of life. If we talk about it early with our friends and relatives, express our wishes and plan for it this can be achieved.”
Eve Richardson,
Chief Executive, National Council for Palliative Care
“More than 500,000 people die in England each year, over 60% in hospital, yet surveys show 60-70% of us would prefer to die at home with the comfort this brings. If people really want to start receiving the end of life care they desire and empowering themselves and those around them to help achieve this, then we really need to start talking about dying, death and bereavement. Dying matters, don’t leave it until it is too late.”
Hilary Fisher,
Director, Dying Matters