Brian Iddon

Labour Party | Bolton South East

Dr Brian Iddon MP calls on constituents to share their views on end of life care

28 May 2009

Bolton South East MP, Brian Iddon is calling on local residents to take part in a General Medical Council (GMC) consultation on how people should be treated at the end of their lives.

The GMC are currently consulting on new draft guidelines which will help doctors to give the best possible care to patients in their final stages of life.

The guidance entitled, "End of life treatment and care: good practice in decision making", includes a section in which doctors are asked to consider how patients and family members cope with complex and distressing information about treatments, especially those which may later have to be withdrawn. Another section explains how doctors ought to act on patients' advance decisions to refuse treatment.

Parliamentarians met recently to add their views to the consultation, but the GMC is keen to seek a wide range of opinions from all sections of the community. Speaking about the GMC's consultation, Dr Iddon said,

"This consultation raises issues which will affect all of us at some stage in our lives, whether as a patient, a carer or family member, and I urge my constituents to take part. Care and treatment at the end of our lives is something we cannot afford to be complacent about and influencing this consultation is the best way to make your voice heard."

The consultation asks for views on several areas including:

· Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) – when discussions about CPR are appropriate and how to approach these difficult conversations with patients, their families and carers.

· Advance care planning – how doctors should deal with requests and refusals for life prolonging treatment; and how to approach discussions about future care with patients and their families including advance requests or refusals of treatment.

· Care after death and organ donation – how doctors take into account cultural and religious considerations; dignity and respect for the body; responsibilities towards families, carers and others close to the patient; and when it might be appropriate to discuss organ donation.

· Neonates, children and young people – advice for doctors making emotionally demanding decisions, for example when to resuscitate an extremely premature baby.