The way we die needs a fundamental rethink, according to a group of international experts, who say COVID-19 has shed a harsh spotlight on care for the dying. Death has been “overmedicalized” and millions around the globe are suffering unnecessarily at the end of their lives as a result, with healthcare workers in wealthy nations seeking to prolong life rather than support death, according to an expert panel convened by the Lancet medical journal.
At the same time, around half of people globally die without any palliative care or pain relief, particularly in lower-income countries. The Lancet Commission – involving patients, community experts, philosophers and theologians as well as experts in health and social care – are calling for change.
