End-Of-Life Care: Ethics and Law - Press Release

Professor William Molloy, Centre for Gerontology and Rehabilitation, University College Cork, will launch End-of-Life Care: Ethics and Law on Wednesday 16th November at 6.00pm at the Jennings Gallery, University College Cork. End-of-Life Care: Ethics and Law addresses some of the most pressing ethical and legal challenges in relation to death and dying that patients, health professionals and families must face.

The book was discussed this morning (Wednesday 16th November 2011) on Today with Pat Kenny on RTE Radio 1.

End-of-Life Care: Ethics and Law is written by Joan McCarthy & Mary Donnelly (University College Cork), Dolores Dooley & David Smith (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) and Louise Campbell (ClinicalEthics Ireland) (Cork University Press, ISBN 978 185918 481 3, sbk, 468pp, 294 x 197mm, €25/£20). Issues addressed in the book include: Healthcare Decision-making and the role of rights; the ethics of Breaking Bad News and Confidentiality; Patient Autonomy in Law and Practice; the ethics of Pain Management, Withholding and Withdrawing treatment, Clinical and Research Ethics.

Dr. Joan McCarthy of the School of Nursing & Midwifery at UCC, stated: “In recent years in this country there has been an increasing interest in what are generally described as end of life issues. While many surveys have shown that the majority of people would prefer to die in their own homes, the fact is that most of us die in hospital or some form of long-stay facility. At times the circumstances surrounding the terminally ill at the time of their death are far from ideal. While this is, of course, not intentional, it is understandable that in the context of a busy and overcrowded hospital ward a dying person may be denied privacy and dignity.”

She continued: “The hospice movement, and in particular the Irish Hospice Foundation, has for long emphasised the importance of a “good death”, and has worked for the creation of “hospice friendly hospitals”, where careful planning and understanding of the relevant issues can enable the best palliative and other care to be provided for the patient at the time of death. As is articulated by the UK General Medical Council, good end-of-life care is that which ‘helps patients with life-limiting conditions to live as well as possible until they die, and to die with dignity’.”

The book emerged out of a groundbreaking national project undertaken by UCC, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and the Irish Hospice Foundation (through the Hospice Friendly Hospitals programme) over three years. It draws on a significant body of research specifically addressing ethical issues in relation to end-of-life care in Irish hospitals. The research had input from ethicists, sociologists, legal experts, theologians and clinicians.It is also informed by reviews and studies involving hospice, palliative and acute care services.

The research culminated in the development of an Ethical Framework for End-of-life Care which was launched in October 2010. The Framework is currently being used as an educational resource in hospitals and other healthcare settings countrywide and is available online at www.hospicefriendlyhospitals.net.

In addition what is believed to be the world’s first Master’s degree in End-of-Life Healthcare Ethics began last September in UCC. This multidisciplinary programme is being run on a part-time basis over two years. The IHF is funding two scholarships for students on the MSc course. The course is jointly offered by the School of Nursing and Midwifery; the School of Medicine and the School of Philosophy and Sociology at UCC.

Sharon Foley, CEO of the IHF, commented: “The IHF is very excited about the changes in the education landscape around end-of-life care in Ireland. In a few years, we have seen dramatic developments. The Ethical Framework for End-of-life Care has been developed, a Certificate, Diploma and Master’s degree in end-of-life healthcare ethics are now available, scholarships have been offered for the course and now this exciting book, based on the Ethical Framework, is on the bookshelves. All of this work will support individuals and professionals in coping with ethically challenging situations that arise in relation to death and dying. We would also like to acknowledge the role of UCC for working so effectively with the IHF on this.”

All aspects of the book are of great interest to the general reader as well as to the healthcare professional and to the lawyer. The issues dealt with are not simple, but the book is written in clear, elegant and readily understood language, so that the reader is encouraged to think further about what is said, and its relevance to our own lives. The end of life comes to all of us, and the bringing into practice of the principles set out in this book will benefit all of us.

Some 27,144 people died in Ireland in 2010. Research in 2004 revealed that most people wish to die in their own homes surrounded by their loved ones, pain-free, conscious and able to communicate. However, 74% of people die outside their own homes and 48% die in busy acute hospitals. Some three quarters of all deaths occur at or over the age of 65 years. Some 1,400 children are living with life-limiting conditions and about 350 children die every year. For each person who dies somewhere between four and 10 people are bereaved.

Further details on the book
http://corkuniversitypress.com/End_of_Life_Care:_Ethics_and_Law_/348/

Regards

Mike

Mike Collins
Publications Director
The Atlas of the Great Irish Famine will be published in May 2012
More details at http://greatirishfamine.ie/

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