Ethical questions – our position
Providing compassionate care on the journey towards the end of life generates a number of challenges for the professionals caring for a patient and their family. Many of the issues that cause ethical dilemmas are emotive and can lead to misunderstandings and inaccurate perceptions of hospice and end of life care.
Here at Trinity, we are open and honest in everything we do, and have clear position statements on a number of common ethical dilemmas. We hope these go some way to explain the challenges we may face, and our considered response to them.
Our statements take into account:
- Professional guidance from the General Medical Council and Nursing and Midwifery Council
- Professional statements from the Association of Palliative Medicine for Great Britain and Ireland
- Statements from the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of General Practice
- The current law in England
- Opinions expressed by staff working in Trinity and the consensus of professionals working in specialist palliative care
- Our assessment of the impact of the statement on patient care across the family of Trinity services
Our Position Statement on Assisted Dying
Trinity Hospice currently aligns with Hospice UK’s stance on assisted dying. Both euthanasia and assisted suicide remain illegal under English law, and Trinity abides by this law while providing specialist palliative care that affirms life and regards death as a natural part of it.
Our ethos, as defined by the World Health Organization, is that palliative care “intends neither to hasten nor postpone death.” Assisted dying is not part of palliative care practice. Instead, we focus on compassionate, holistic care that respects individual dignity and ensures every person is well cared for until the end of life.
We acknowledge the wide range of views on assisted dying and make no value judgment about those who hold different opinions. Our commitment is to relieve pain and distress, support open conversations about end-of-life decisions, and encourage advance care planning.
This position will be monitored and updated regularly as the national conversation evolves.
Read Hospice UK’s full statement here.
