As a palliative care specialist, I’ve witnessed the human tragedy of our end-of-life care crisis | Rachel Clarke
While the government debates assisted dying, palliative care is an afterthought. And many more people face death without the care and support they needA baby, in Britain, in 2025, takes...
By Rachel Clarke · The Guardian Opinion
While the government debates assisted dying, palliative care is an afterthought. And many more people face death without the care and support they need A baby, in Britain, in 2025, takes its stuttering final breaths. All deaths in infancy are harrowing. But the fact that this particular death might have been prevented – had neonatal care not depended so heavily on charity, had the NHS not failed to fund more than two-thirds of the healthcare babies need – is unforgivable. Mercifully, the dystopian scenario I’ve just described does not exist in the UK today. Although paediatric care is undeniably overstretched, it is at least regarded as a core, bedrock NHS service. Dr Rachel Clarke is an NHS specialist in palliative medicine and the winner of the 2025 Women’s prize for nonfiction Continue reading...