Contribution from the Medical Team
As I sit here in my surgery office, looking out over the quiet lush geen suburban ‘old’ Howick with its clear blue sky and occasional puff of summer’s cumulus cloud drifting by, it seems too hard to believe that the world is heading into such unprecendented turmoil.
For me, sitting here right now it feels close to paradise!
However, all is not as it seems! Even within Hospice new challenges are emerging with our rapidly changing world.
One very obvious challenge is the ‘greying’ of our workforce. The average age of Doctors and Nurses in our organisation is 55+ years! Where does the next generation of staff come from? Can we even develop a new way to care that is less dependent on Doctors and Nurses?
A more subtle challenge will be the balance between ‘active’ treatments versus care. Thirty years ago most cancer patients were told to “ go home there is nothing we can do for you”. Over those years the patients’ response of “a little support and care would be nice” was eventually heard and modern day Hospice evolved. Now, Hospice care focuses on the broader and often very complex issues of ‘living with’ terminal illness and aims to separate these from the medical model which is completely ‘cure’ orientated.
Once again, thirty years on we are faced with a perverse though similar dilemma of hospital Doctors now finding more elaborate and sophisticated technologies with which to treat patients and who are struggling to ever say “go home, there is nothing more we can do for you!” The costs in both socio-economic terms and quality of life are enormous.
It would appear that Hospice is being asked to look at the bigger picture as the tension between ‘care’ and ‘treatment’ increases. Patients need time and good balanced information to make what are often very difficult decisions. It seems blatantly obvious to me that for now, the wisdom of our greying workforce will be very effective in meeting this challenge while continuing to empower families to care for their loved ones.
Dr. Graeme Kidd
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