GPs told to quiz elderly with serious health problems about 'how they want to die'

Sophie Borland in MailOnline
25th January 2012

GPs must ask the elderly with serious health problems if they want ‘do not resuscitate’ orders put in their files, according to senior doctors.

They should also find out if patients want to die at home and whether they would rather refuse certain drugs or treatment in their final hours.

Doctors who carried out a study found discussions about death helped prevent thousands of elderly patients being admitted to hospital against their will.

There are concerns frail patients are being forced to remain on wards until they die and are given medical treatment that only prolongs their agony.

But many doctors are reluctant to talk to their patients as death is seen as a taboo subject.

Last week figures from the Office for National Statistics showed just a fifth of patients are dying at home – even though nearly three quarters wanted to. This number is far lower than in countries elsewhere in the Western world.

Dr Adrian Baker and researchers from the Universities of Aberdeen and Stirling are calling for more GPs to draw-up ‘end of life’ plans for seriously-ill patients.

This includes those with a range of health problems such as dementia, cancer, heart disease or diabetes, who are frequently in and out of hospital.

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