Thursday 3 January 2013
KATE GRANGER DANGER?
In an interview Kate Granger, the SR who has become the chief advocate of the Liverpool Care Pathway in the UK media has admitted stockpiling enough drugs at her home to commit suicide.
She said:
"I would seriously contemplate suicide instead, even though it goes against everything I pledged when I became a doctor. I have already stockpiled enough appropriate drugs in the house to make sure this would be successful, but hope it won’t come to it."
Halfway down her article at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2211442/I-want-enjoy-days--waste-having-chemo-Doctor-Kate-Granger-tells-shes-stopped-treatment-prolong-life.html#ixzz2Gvu5EDLK
This means either
a) that the controlled drugs policy in Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield is not compliant with law, OR
b) that the LCP 'Just in Case' boxes they put in peoples homes to be used by the GP or district nurses DO contain enough drug to kill.
Is a doctor who has stockpiled drugs to commit suicide really fit to practice, GMC?
Sunday 11 October 2009
From The Sunday Times October 11, 2009
Daughter saves mother, 80, left by doctors to starve
(Andrew Hasson)
Hazel Fenton and her daughter Christine Ball
Sarah-Kate Templeton, Health Editor 14 Comments
Recommend? (12) AN 80-year-old grandmother who doctors identified as terminally ill and left to starve to death has recovered after her outraged daughter intervened.
Hazel Fenton, from East Sussex, is alive nine months after medics ruled she had only days to live, withdrew her antibiotics and denied her artificial feeding. The former school matron had been placed on a controversial care plan intended to ease the last days of dying patients.
Doctors say Fenton is an example of patients who have been condemned to death on the Liverpool care pathway plan. They argue that while it is suitable for patients who do have only days to live, it is being used more widely in the NHS, denying treatment to elderly patients who are not dying.
Fenton’s daughter, Christine Ball, who had been looking after her mother before she was admitted to the Conquest hospital in Hastings, East Sussex, on January 11, says she had to fight hospital staff for weeks before her mother was taken off the plan and given artificial feeding.
Related Links
Doctors say EU working week is killing patients
Families 'kept in dark' by doctors over dying
Ball, 42, from Robertsbridge, East Sussex, said: “My mother was going to be left to starve and dehydrate to death. It really is a subterfuge for legalised euthanasia of the elderly on the NHS. ”
Fenton was admitted to hospital suffering from pneumonia. Although Ball acknowledged that her mother was very ill she was astonished when a junior doctor told her she was going to be placed on the plan to “make her more comfortable” in her last days.
Ball insisted that her mother was not dying but her objections were ignored. A nurse even approached her to say: “What do you want done with your mother’s body?”
On January 19, Fenton’s 80th birthday, Ball says her mother was feeling better and chatting to her family, but it took another four days to persuade doctors to give her artificial feeding.
Fenton is now being looked after in a nursing home five minutes from where her daughter lives.
Peter Hargreaves, a consultant in palliative medicine, is concerned that other patients who could recover are left to die. He said: “As they are spreading out across the country, the training is getting probably more and more diluted.”
A spokesman for East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Patients’ needs are assessed before they are placed on the [plan]. Daily reviews are undertaken by clinicians whenever possible.”
In a separate case, the family of an 87-year-old woman say the plan is being used as a way of giving minimum care to dying patients.
Susan Budden, whose mother, Iris Griffin, from Norwich, died in a nursing home in July 2008 from a brain tumour, said: “When she was started on the [plan] her medication was withdrawn. As a result she became agitated and distressed.
“It would appear that the [plan] is . . . used purely as a protocol which can be ticked off to justify the management of a patient.”
Deborah Murphy, the national lead nurse for the care pathway, said: “If the education and training is not in place, the [plan] should not be used.” She said 3% of patients placed on the plan recovered.
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Your Comments14 Comments
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steve tea wrote:
Labour the NHS is safe in our hands. Its a pity we are not safe for the the NHS.
October 11, 2009 2:48 PM BST on community.timesonline.co.uk Recommend? (9) Report Abuse
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Philip Mead wrote:
my partners 77 year old father is currently having "this treatment" or should i say no treatment in Harwich hospital. He hasnt had food or water for the past 4 days and the family werent informed of his condition.All we have been told is that if the patient refuses food water or medication there is nothing the nursing staff can do as he is of sound mind! Surely a person who would rather starve to death then have treatment cannot be of sound mind! Our fight continues.....
October 11, 2009 1:23 PM BST on community.timesonline.co.uk Recommend? (13) Report Abuse
Permalink
Katherine Prochyra wrote:
Yes this is a sad story however I work as a nurse in Australia where an attempt is made to save eveyone unless their relatives deem no resuscitation. The consequent suffering pain and loss of dignity has to be seen to be believed. Current medical technology is able to keep people alive way beyond any quality of life. I have seen old people begging to be left alone to die whilt invasive and painful medical procedures are done on them all because relatives are unable to let go. Please bear this in mind before you are so judgemental of nursing and medical staff. Would you like your loved ones to suffer so much in their last days?
October 11, 2009 1:17 PM BST on community.timesonline.co.uk Recommend? (11) Report Abuse
Permalink
Mike Flanagan wrote:
If there is one thing I regret it is that I did not take up the offer of £10 passage to Australia when it was offered years ago. This Country is finished and I cannot see it ever recovering. You only need look at retard politicians like Yvette Cooper to reaoise the lack of stateman like Politiciand of yesteryear.
October 11, 2009 11:44 AM BST on community.timesonline.co.uk Recommend? (18) Report Abuse
Permalink
Christine Ball wrote:
The fight to save my mother from a death by starvation on the LCP was made by far worse because of the mental capacitys act, another government encentive to "help" vulnerable people, in cases like my mothers because of the mental capacitys act the family become helpless and the decisions are made by doctors, I was told that we had no rights and food and hydration were classed as treatment, which means a doctor was able to play god with my mothers life. With out my persistance and pressure I know my mother would be dead now.
October 11, 2009 11:33 AM BST on community.timesonline.co.uk Recommend? (33) Report Abuse
Permalink
David Walker wrote:
It would appear that in England today, the unborn(abortion) young children (Baby P etc.) and the elderly as in this article) are now treated as surplus to requirements. I would imagine that the next wheelie bin we will be issued with will be for putting them in.
October 11, 2009 10:56 AM BST on community.timesonline.co.uk Recommend? (28) Report Abuse
Permalink
D Wright wrote:
I wonder how many "Christines" or family who would relentlessly work not to give up on their loved ones, despite what the medical team's verdict. Many busy relatives would give up quickly and easily on their parents' lives, for "compassions" and "kindness" reasons.
October 11, 2009 10:43 AM BST on community.timesonline.co.uk Recommend? (9) Report Abuse
Permalink
Ter Go wrote:
This is a very difficult area, on one hand people should not suffer, on the other quality, not just quantity of life needs to be considered. Just because doctors can do something does not mean to say that they should. They can only make the best judgement at the time. We have to acknowledge that there is a right time to let our loved ones go. Doctors have very difficult decisons to make.
October 11, 2009 10:16 AM BST on community.timesonline.co.uk Recommend? (4) Report Abuse
Permalink
kevin bull wrote:
Sarah, excellent story and information.
Thankyou so much for attempting to help those who can not help themselves.
'She said 3% of patients placed on the plan recovered.'
The question I have to ask is, if 3% of patients placed on the plan recovered, then how many patients died just because they were put on the plan that would not have died naturally at that time and had months or years to live?
Euthanizing the elderly, infirm, mentally ill, disabled and possibly complainants if their costs are considered, seems to be in part the direction of this.
I will include 1 other factor of change from the year 2000, which is the forced adoption of children hidden within a secrecy system.
I have to say that this brings me to look at a historical incidence of this being done before.
Nazi Germany leading up to and during world war 2 did all of these things in a regime that was very harsh on the world and lead by a man Adolf Hitler who was very narcissistic indeed.
It then takes me to view this from a future point of view and it is very much like George Orwell's '1984', but absolutely indicates the path towards 'Logan's Run' in which euthanasia was eventually set as compulsory at age 30 years, where people would become runners to escape this only to be hunted down by the (euthanasia police) the deep sleep operative or sand man.
Sand man or care pathway being the alto's of the reality that shows the thinking behind 'Logan’s Run' is very much within us today to create an equally sweet sounding 'care pathway' to hide the start of attempting to create social acceptability of removal of citizens by death from society.
It does not take much effort to understand the make up of individuals that might support this is the alto of caring itself.
Are we loosing our caring society?
October 11, 2009 6:44 AM BST on community.timesonline.co.uk Recommend? (59) Report Abuse
Permalink
Vivienne Heward wrote:
Withdrawing food, hydration and medicine isn't "care".
October 11, 2009 3:35 AM BST on community.timesonline.co.uk Recommend? (86) Report Abuse
Copyright 2009 Times Newspapers Ltd.
Daughter saves mother, 80, left by doctors to starve
(Andrew Hasson)
Hazel Fenton and her daughter Christine Ball
Sarah-Kate Templeton, Health Editor 14 Comments
Recommend? (12) AN 80-year-old grandmother who doctors identified as terminally ill and left to starve to death has recovered after her outraged daughter intervened.
Hazel Fenton, from East Sussex, is alive nine months after medics ruled she had only days to live, withdrew her antibiotics and denied her artificial feeding. The former school matron had been placed on a controversial care plan intended to ease the last days of dying patients.
Doctors say Fenton is an example of patients who have been condemned to death on the Liverpool care pathway plan. They argue that while it is suitable for patients who do have only days to live, it is being used more widely in the NHS, denying treatment to elderly patients who are not dying.
Fenton’s daughter, Christine Ball, who had been looking after her mother before she was admitted to the Conquest hospital in Hastings, East Sussex, on January 11, says she had to fight hospital staff for weeks before her mother was taken off the plan and given artificial feeding.
Related Links
Doctors say EU working week is killing patients
Families 'kept in dark' by doctors over dying
Ball, 42, from Robertsbridge, East Sussex, said: “My mother was going to be left to starve and dehydrate to death. It really is a subterfuge for legalised euthanasia of the elderly on the NHS. ”
Fenton was admitted to hospital suffering from pneumonia. Although Ball acknowledged that her mother was very ill she was astonished when a junior doctor told her she was going to be placed on the plan to “make her more comfortable” in her last days.
Ball insisted that her mother was not dying but her objections were ignored. A nurse even approached her to say: “What do you want done with your mother’s body?”
On January 19, Fenton’s 80th birthday, Ball says her mother was feeling better and chatting to her family, but it took another four days to persuade doctors to give her artificial feeding.
Fenton is now being looked after in a nursing home five minutes from where her daughter lives.
Peter Hargreaves, a consultant in palliative medicine, is concerned that other patients who could recover are left to die. He said: “As they are spreading out across the country, the training is getting probably more and more diluted.”
A spokesman for East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Patients’ needs are assessed before they are placed on the [plan]. Daily reviews are undertaken by clinicians whenever possible.”
In a separate case, the family of an 87-year-old woman say the plan is being used as a way of giving minimum care to dying patients.
Susan Budden, whose mother, Iris Griffin, from Norwich, died in a nursing home in July 2008 from a brain tumour, said: “When she was started on the [plan] her medication was withdrawn. As a result she became agitated and distressed.
“It would appear that the [plan] is . . . used purely as a protocol which can be ticked off to justify the management of a patient.”
Deborah Murphy, the national lead nurse for the care pathway, said: “If the education and training is not in place, the [plan] should not be used.” She said 3% of patients placed on the plan recovered.
Your Comments14 Comments
(Displaying 1-10)
Order By:
Newest firstOldest firstMost recommended Report item as: (required) X Obscenity/vulgarity Hate speech Personal attack Advertising/Spam Copyright/Plagiarism Other Comment: (optional)
steve tea wrote:
Labour the NHS is safe in our hands. Its a pity we are not safe for the the NHS.
October 11, 2009 2:48 PM BST on community.timesonline.co.uk Recommend? (9) Report Abuse
Permalink
Philip Mead wrote:
my partners 77 year old father is currently having "this treatment" or should i say no treatment in Harwich hospital. He hasnt had food or water for the past 4 days and the family werent informed of his condition.All we have been told is that if the patient refuses food water or medication there is nothing the nursing staff can do as he is of sound mind! Surely a person who would rather starve to death then have treatment cannot be of sound mind! Our fight continues.....
October 11, 2009 1:23 PM BST on community.timesonline.co.uk Recommend? (13) Report Abuse
Permalink
Katherine Prochyra wrote:
Yes this is a sad story however I work as a nurse in Australia where an attempt is made to save eveyone unless their relatives deem no resuscitation. The consequent suffering pain and loss of dignity has to be seen to be believed. Current medical technology is able to keep people alive way beyond any quality of life. I have seen old people begging to be left alone to die whilt invasive and painful medical procedures are done on them all because relatives are unable to let go. Please bear this in mind before you are so judgemental of nursing and medical staff. Would you like your loved ones to suffer so much in their last days?
October 11, 2009 1:17 PM BST on community.timesonline.co.uk Recommend? (11) Report Abuse
Permalink
Mike Flanagan wrote:
If there is one thing I regret it is that I did not take up the offer of £10 passage to Australia when it was offered years ago. This Country is finished and I cannot see it ever recovering. You only need look at retard politicians like Yvette Cooper to reaoise the lack of stateman like Politiciand of yesteryear.
October 11, 2009 11:44 AM BST on community.timesonline.co.uk Recommend? (18) Report Abuse
Permalink
Christine Ball wrote:
The fight to save my mother from a death by starvation on the LCP was made by far worse because of the mental capacitys act, another government encentive to "help" vulnerable people, in cases like my mothers because of the mental capacitys act the family become helpless and the decisions are made by doctors, I was told that we had no rights and food and hydration were classed as treatment, which means a doctor was able to play god with my mothers life. With out my persistance and pressure I know my mother would be dead now.
October 11, 2009 11:33 AM BST on community.timesonline.co.uk Recommend? (33) Report Abuse
Permalink
David Walker wrote:
It would appear that in England today, the unborn(abortion) young children (Baby P etc.) and the elderly as in this article) are now treated as surplus to requirements. I would imagine that the next wheelie bin we will be issued with will be for putting them in.
October 11, 2009 10:56 AM BST on community.timesonline.co.uk Recommend? (28) Report Abuse
Permalink
D Wright wrote:
I wonder how many "Christines" or family who would relentlessly work not to give up on their loved ones, despite what the medical team's verdict. Many busy relatives would give up quickly and easily on their parents' lives, for "compassions" and "kindness" reasons.
October 11, 2009 10:43 AM BST on community.timesonline.co.uk Recommend? (9) Report Abuse
Permalink
Ter Go wrote:
This is a very difficult area, on one hand people should not suffer, on the other quality, not just quantity of life needs to be considered. Just because doctors can do something does not mean to say that they should. They can only make the best judgement at the time. We have to acknowledge that there is a right time to let our loved ones go. Doctors have very difficult decisons to make.
October 11, 2009 10:16 AM BST on community.timesonline.co.uk Recommend? (4) Report Abuse
Permalink
kevin bull wrote:
Sarah, excellent story and information.
Thankyou so much for attempting to help those who can not help themselves.
'She said 3% of patients placed on the plan recovered.'
The question I have to ask is, if 3% of patients placed on the plan recovered, then how many patients died just because they were put on the plan that would not have died naturally at that time and had months or years to live?
Euthanizing the elderly, infirm, mentally ill, disabled and possibly complainants if their costs are considered, seems to be in part the direction of this.
I will include 1 other factor of change from the year 2000, which is the forced adoption of children hidden within a secrecy system.
I have to say that this brings me to look at a historical incidence of this being done before.
Nazi Germany leading up to and during world war 2 did all of these things in a regime that was very harsh on the world and lead by a man Adolf Hitler who was very narcissistic indeed.
It then takes me to view this from a future point of view and it is very much like George Orwell's '1984', but absolutely indicates the path towards 'Logan's Run' in which euthanasia was eventually set as compulsory at age 30 years, where people would become runners to escape this only to be hunted down by the (euthanasia police) the deep sleep operative or sand man.
Sand man or care pathway being the alto's of the reality that shows the thinking behind 'Logan’s Run' is very much within us today to create an equally sweet sounding 'care pathway' to hide the start of attempting to create social acceptability of removal of citizens by death from society.
It does not take much effort to understand the make up of individuals that might support this is the alto of caring itself.
Are we loosing our caring society?
October 11, 2009 6:44 AM BST on community.timesonline.co.uk Recommend? (59) Report Abuse
Permalink
Vivienne Heward wrote:
Withdrawing food, hydration and medicine isn't "care".
October 11, 2009 3:35 AM BST on community.timesonline.co.uk Recommend? (86) Report Abuse
Copyright 2009 Times Newspapers Ltd.
Thursday 5 February 2009
The NHS "Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient" sounds like a compassionate document, until you realise there is no entry in the medical or legal dictionary to define a 'Dying' patient.
The project "Promotes cost effective healthcare by anticipatory prescribing, avoiding crisis interventions in the community and inappropriate hospital admissions"
Which sound laudible. But what can a practitioner 'anticipate' if they never see the patient? They wouldnt leave the prescription of dangerous drugs to an untrained GP? Wouldnt there be a huge risk of overdoses, and patients 'lapsing into comas from which they never recovered, and dying peacefully in their sleep' ?
"The LCP provides guidance on the different aspects of care required, including comfort measures, anticipatory prescribing of medicines and discontinuation of inappropriate interventions"
Thank heavens for that! It gives guidance on things like doses of dangerous drugs.
"The LCP replaces all other documentation in this phase of care, and is applicable in hospital, hospice, nursing home and community settings"
How versatile!
WHEN EXACTLY IS THE 'END OF 'LIFE' ?
As things stand, anyone suffering from a condition that demands 'burdensome treatment' -
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