No more heroes any more
While we’re on the subject of Gordon Brown’s heroes and heroines, another featured in his book was Dame Cicely Saunders. She was regarded as the founder of the modern hospice movement, helping terminally ill people to die with dignity and as comfortably as possible.
You wonder what she would have made of the likes of this, done on her admirer’s watch…
Hospices are struggling with debts as funding promised by the government has failed to materialise, campaigners say.
…or this…
The Government has rejected calls to boost funding for children’s hospices to equal that of adult services.
…or this…
More than a third of hospices expect they will fail to raise enough money this financial year to fund their services.
…or this…
A HOSPICE for terminally ill children from Gloucestershire is appealing for toys and presents for the children following a major cut in funding.
What, if any, example or guidance Brown has taken from his heroine? Speaking late last year about an assisted-suicide law, Brown found a scrap of what passes for his personal morality, and said he opposed such a law because ‘I think we have got to make it absolutely clear that the importance of human life is recognised’. And then you read something like this…
The standard of care of the terminally ill in the NHS in England has been criticised by MPs. Palliative care has been given a low priority, said members of the Committee of Public Accounts.
[...]
They said people who died in hospital did not always receive first rate care, such as the most effective pain management, and were not always treated with dignity and respect.
In other words, the dying should grit their teeth and show some Brownian courage. To be fair, he doesn’t get much dignity and respect either.
Posted on May 14th, 2009 at 10:10am under Brown, Human rights
| Related posts... • Respect the *snip* • Moral minority • Gordon Brown: pretty words and flowers, poetry and threats |
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• 3 Comments |
To be fair to Brown, Saunders was very very hot against voluntary euthenasia, so his failure to endorse it could be seen as hero-worship.
Oh yes, I see that. It’s just that the corollary to an anti-euthanasia stance should be well-funded, universal, humane and dignified palliative care, shouldn’t it? That’s where I argue Brown parts company with his heroine.
To be fair to Brown, yes, that is indeed the problem. You’ve nailed it. Him writing a book called ‘Courage’ is like Blair writing ‘Peace’, or Thatcher writing ‘Solidarity’.