(The Guardian) – In a Danish palliative care unit, the alternative to assisted dying is not striving to cure, offering relief and comfort to patients and their families

The way we die is a topic of a heated debate in Denmark, as in many other countries including the UK. The government wants to introduce medical aid in dying, and in 2023 set up a committee, which presented its various opinions in January this year. Palliative care is often highlighted as a counterweight to the offer of assisted dying. To witness the treatment of terminally ill patients, I was given access to the palliative care unit, section 126, at Hvidovre hospital for 10 days in April and May 2024.

Unlike the rest of the hospital, section 126 isn’t focused on cure but on relief. In this unit, terminally ill patients like René receive help to deal with their pain, nausea, and other symptoms from doctors and nurses specialising in palliative care. But the staff in this section don’t just administer morphine and methadone through IVs and injections. They also assist patients and their families with the grief of saying goodbye, the pain of leaving life and the fear of death. (Read More)