Terminally ill to get a choice in Solihull

Sep 3 2008 By Alison Dayani, Health Correspondent

HEALTH bosses in Solihull are pumping £900,000 into care for elderly people at the end of their life so they can choose where they die.

Solihull Care Trust chiefs said they wanted to help locals “live well to the end” with emphasis put on dignity and respect, pain relief and allowing patients to die at home with close family and friends rather than in a stark hospital ward.

The cash will be invested into improving care, community treatment and specialist palliative services over the next three years.

With most people in the town currently dying in hospital, the investment will also help prevent people from being admitted to hospital unnecessarily and free up beds.

Helen Meehan, the trust’s lead nurse for palliative care, said: “Dying well is a right for all people, we have one chance to get it right for each person, for their family and their carers.

“We are committed to developing services locally, so that we support and help people to live well until the end of their life.

“How we care for the dying is an indicator of how we care for all sick and vulnerable people. It is a measure of society as a whole and, in particular, it is a litmus test for health and social care services.

“The plan and investment sets out a clear direction and commitment by the Care Trust to work towards enabling Solihull residents to have quality care at the end of their lives.”

It comes as older residents across Solihull continue to increase, meaning a rise in demand for end of life care.

A quarter of the UK’s population will die from a cancer related disease, but the majority will have a non-cancer illness, such as heart failure.