Make time to have conversations on dying

Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board is encouraging residents to have conversations about death, dying, and grief as part of Dying Matters Awareness Week (5-11 May) and take time to reflect on what matters most at the end of life.

This national campaign, run by Hospices UK, aims to break down the stigma associated with death and dying.

This year’s theme “The Culture of Dying Matters” explores how different communities and cultures across the UK approach and experience the end of life – highlighting both our differences and our shared humanity in grief and loss.

Sarah Stanley, chief nurse at Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board, said:

“Death touches every one of us, yet it remains one of the hardest things to talk about. Too many people in our area are dying in hospital when they would rather be in a more comforting setting – such as at home or in a hospice.  Each year, more than 6,000 local people on palliative care pathways are admitted to hospital in an emergency.  When time is limited, few would wish to choose to spend it in a hospital.

“It’s so important that everyone has the dignity they deserve at the end of their lives, and we want to ensure everyone receives the right care, in the right place, at the right time. Dying Matters Awareness Week gives us a vital opportunity to listen, learn, and plan together for better, more compassionate care at the end of life.”

Improving end of life care is a core priority for the NHS organisation responsible for planning the delivery of health and care services in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes. Work is now under way to reshape how palliative and end of life care can be delivered.

Joanna Morris, Macmillan palliative and end of life care transformation lead, added:

“At the heart of this work is encouraging people, families, and communities to talk openly and honestly about death and dying – and to consider what matters most at the end of life.

“Dying Matters Awareness Week reminds us that feelings about dying and grief are universal, even if we express it differently. While culture, faith, and experience shape how we talk about and deal with death, the underlying emotions – sadness, love, loss, and remembrance – unite us all.”

To learn more about Dying Matters Awareness Week, or to find events near you, visit www.hospiceuk.org/DyingMatters.