New Technique in Palliative Care!!!

[Tomsanguish]

Palliative Care Teams, Training centres and others Worldwide interested in Palliative Care are receiving this letter below!

World Exclusive New Technique In Palliative Care!

A new technique in Palliative Care was carried out at Sheffield's Northern General Palliative Care Ward.

On a patients penultimate day 10/1/06 and with a syringe driver that had been in situ for 32 hours holding just 10mgs. morphine, one team of Palliative Care Nurses refused top up, breakthrough, extra, prn morphine (although previously, 40mgs of prn had been required whilst the syringe driver holding just 10mgs. morphine was in situ. And after this team had gone home the patient 'needed a lot of prn').

This Palliative Careless team noted in the medical notes that patient was 'being given mouthcare - dandelion and burdock' and in their opinion this was 'enough to settle him and he didn't need any prn'.

So there you have it FIZZY DRINKS are now being used instead of terminal sedation. We have not had a sensible explanation yet for the 'gap' in provision of the prn. To witness someone agitated, in anguish, frightened and in pain was terrible.

Dr. Throssell , Deputy Medical Director of the Sheffield Hospital's Trust, commented in the Telegraph regarding the day before the patient died (10/1/06) 'Mr. Milner indicated he did not have a pain and so no further medication was needed'.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/heal-our-hospitals/5741374/Dying-man-denied-morphine-family-claim.html

In the medical notes 9/1/06 18.00p.m. it said 'Tom too ill to have discussion with staff'.
In the medical notes 10/1/06 11.30a.m. Consultant wrote 'probably unaware of his surroundings'.

Strange how he could indicate he did not have a pain!

ANOTHER NEW Palliative Care technique is in force at Sheffield's Northern General Hospital - LET PATIENT'S FAMILY CALL THEIR G.P. WHEN A PATIENT NEEDS MEDICATION'.

Patient, as noted in medical notes, was 'pulling at sheets' 9.00a.m. 11.1.06 - but the Palliative Care nurses would not give him anything. (The syringe driver was still only holding 10mgs. of Morphine and had been in situ for 55 hours!)
Call from G.P. (as noted in the medical notes) got a Junior Doctor to make an appearance. This Doctor doubled the amount in the syringe driver and the patient died 1 hour later.

SO it's easy isn't it. FIZZY DRINKS not MORPHINE, LET ABSENT G.P.'S initiate MEDICATION to be given, DOUBLE MORPHINE DOSES. Oh and if the family complain just make things up!

[nil by mouth]

My daughter has bone cancer and is terminally ill. she is 22 yrs. How can I prepare for the end of her life as she wants and it seems like, its not what the local hospice wants. She want to die at home and I will be afraid that I will lose my nerve and call for an ambulance and then it wont be her choice.
The hospice said that they put a fluid needle just under the skin and not in a vein, thus no fluids my daughter does not want this.
Is there anything that I can do to get things in place now. The words that they are saying now is we wont speak to me as she is an adult, as if I don't know my own daughter and she said that they can speak to me but its selected hearing on their part.

[Tomsanguish]

Hello, I am so sorry to hear of your story. You can contact me via www.tomsanguish.com and if ever you need a listening ear just let me know!

We were with my father constantly for the last 5 days of his life.

I can only speak of our experience.

Dad had terminal leukaemia and was dying.

He was at home prior to admittance to the hospital.

He had begun to haemorrhage from the back passage and was slipping into unconsciousness. My mother on her own didn't know what to do and called the Hospital and was told to call an ambulance to take him to the A. & E.
That was THE big mistake.

If he had stayed at home he would have slipped into 'sleep' in a more gentle way.

They liquid resuscitated him although in the medical notes it said DNR. They didn't tell us what they were doing.
Then the whole chaotic next 4 days happened. (you can see details at www.tomsanguish.com)

2 hours before death on a Palliative Care ward the 'nurses' said they could not give him anything although he was 'pulling at the sheets' as was later written in the medical notes.

I had to call the G.P. to summon a Junior Doctor to administer some medication. Dad died 1 hour later.

My personal advice would be to keep someone at home, with their own surroundings, their own music, etc.

I would make sure that I had lots of 'alternative' medication but hope that proper pain control medication is given by the 'professionals'. But make sure you are there not only for support but to make sure everything possible is done. Also the mouth becomes very dry and so mouthcare, sponging lips, sips of liquid is needed.

Hope I have not been too personal but we had a bad experience.

If I can be of any help at all or if I have overstepped the mark with my comments, let me know.
Daughter of Tom.

[nil by mouth]

Thank you so much for your reply. I totally agree with you on what you say.
Yesterday we went to RNOH because my daughter has a weeping sore in her lower back this has gone on for weeks and we waited hours to be seen and all of 5 mins to be given a prescription for antibiotics which the other consultant who sent us could have prescribed but I was given a very nasty look from the consultant who missed my daughter cancer and I couldn’t think why but it hit me on the way home we had dared asked for a second opinion and I feel that we have gone against an unwritten code. Another consultant who wrote the second opinion stated in his letter that “we have doubt” I have no doubt that we have missed the chance of a cure. Just because they have given up I can’t because unlike them we have to live with their mistakes and if they want to treat me with contempt then shame on them.
Yesterday has knocked a bit of wind out of my sails and I don’t really know why but every day life kicks in and you carry on but it is getting harder.

Thank you for listening to my rants.

[Tomsanguish]

You know best follow your inner feelings.

A lot has all come to pass after the publication of the Patients Association Report:

http://www.patients-association.org.uk/DBIMGS/file/Patients%20not%20numbers,%20people%20not%20statist ics(1).pdf

Followed by the Telegraph Letter 3/9/09:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/letters/6133157/Dying-patients.html

Now this week we have the Marie Curie Centre saying the LCP is not to blame - it is the fact that medical staff dealing with dying patiens aren't trained!

YOU MUST TAKE CONTROL and DON'T let the 'robots' boss you around.

Below is an excerpt from tomsanguish.com about these 'scary' new revelations!

I AM THINKINg OF YOU AND YOUR DAUGHTER. CONTACT ME VIA THE WEBSITE tomsanguish.com if you like.

To be LCP or Not to be LCP that IS the question? (Cancer Tsar Mike Richards, one of New Labour Cronies and Puppet!)


People have been dying for years but the Government (New Labour) try to control even death by putting in place guidelines for this inevitable event!

There are people who think that their loved ones have been 'put to death' by this 'new order Stalinist state' by being on the Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying.



In the case of my father Thomas Milner who was on a Palliative Care ward, he was NOT on the Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying or any other NHS end of life scheme! But we his family have grave concerns about this as well!

The Healthcare Commission was concerned that Thomas Milner was NOT on the Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying and made recommendations for the NHS Sheffield Teaching Hospital Foundation Trust to implement it in the future.

Then in the Telegraph 3/9/09 a Letter is published, written by some eminent Palliative Care Specialists, which criticises the Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying.


Quick to retaliate was Tom Hughes-Hallett, Chief Executive at the Marie Curie Centre, who wanted to protect the Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying which was created by his Institute, the Marie Curie Centre. He has said that it is not the LCP pathway that is at fault but the NHS staff who are NOT trained to carry out it's procedures!!!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/6389383/Liverpool-Pathway-protects-dignity-of-the-dying.html



Like a bolt out of the blue the NHS/Government Cancer Tsar, Professor Mike Richards, spokesperson OR puppet has jumped onto the band wagon and is now saying that training of medical staff who work on Palliative Care and End of Life Care wards should be Mandatory. Does that mean that up until now NHS staff 'caring' for the dying have NOT been trained? Was this not elementary? What has this 'Leader in the care of the Dying been doing for his salary?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6345372/More-training-needed-following-concerns-about-death-pathway-cancer-tsar.html

Is New Labour and it's cronies spinning again?

So after all the guidelines, schemes, pathways and initiatives that the NHS spend time and money on creating, they seem to have missed out ONE basic requirement - TRAINING.

See CASE POINTS 'Palliative Care New Technique' at www.tomsanguish.com to read how the Palliative Care Ward at the Northern General Hospital, Sheffield give care to the dying.


Everybody is different. Some will slip away off into the next world peacefully and serenely. Others like my father will be in torment and anguish until the last breath.

Sedation can offer tranquility. Without it can be tortuous.

However how can you write basic care, compassion and kindness into a 'guideline'?

If we are in the hands of 'carers' who are working on a tick box system, God Help Us.

Perhaps now is the time to consider Voluntary Euthanasia or is that too controversial a subject? There again some would argue that the Liverpool Care is Euthanasia by another name.

[Tomsanguish]

Dear Nil by Mouth,

You are not ranting.

I am collecting personal experiences of the mistakes that are all around.

1 in 6 is the 'official' figure of mis diagnosis.

The NHS is a closed shop and the Dr's shut up shop when they have made a mistake. - It's been in the press!

http://www.tomsanguish.com/Doctor's-Plot-to-Beat-Complaints-System-of-NHS/B8.htm

Keep in touch. Thinking of you and your daughter. Call me if you want.
email me via the contact page on tomsanguish.com

Words 'really fail'. Janet Brooks.