New health minister comes in and first thing they announce is that People should be helped to die. I know this is a complex subject but as a person with limited mobility it sent shivers down my spine. After 32 disabled people a week on average are committing suicide through either fear of the humiliating assessments or because their lives have become so debt ridden and isolated that they feel it is not worth living. The Tories announce they are pro euthanasia. Now this:
"A man with Down's syndrome is suing an NHS trust over a hospital's decision to issue a do-not-resuscitate order giving his disability as one of the reasons....To use Down's syndrome and learning difficulties as a reason to withhold lifesaving treatment is nothing short of blatant discrimination....East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust says it complied fully with guidance from professional bodies....The family of the man, who can be identified only as AWA because of a court order, remained unaware of the do-not-resuscitate (DNR) decision until he had returned from hospital to his care home.....The DNR form, issued while he was in hospital in Margate a year ago, was listed as an indefinite decision, meaning it would cover the duration of his stay in hospital, with no provision for review. "
Ok he also has Alzheimers but the family say he is enjoying life and it's the inclusion of Downes syndrome and Learning difficulties as reasons that worries and also the family were there every day but not told.
...it's getting a bit scary
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19570364