People with terminal illnesses should be given the choice about whether to keep receiving treatment if it is not doing them any harm, new guidance says.

The General Medical Council (GMC) has told doctors that when the risks and benefits of receiving treatments such as food and fluids are about the same, the patient should be able to make the choice.For example, they can opt to be treated right up until the moment they die, or for food and fluids to be withdrawn to help them die more quickly.

"When the benefits, burdens and risks are finely balanced, the patient's request will usually be the deciding factor," the guidance said.But if the treatment the patient wants has no potential benefit, could harm them, or is doing no good after being used for a while, the doctor has a right to refuse or withdraw it.

The guidance also instructs doctors to consider patients' wishes about resuscitation when they are deciding what treatment to give.Plans to be discussed in advancePlans should be discussed with patients and their families ahead of time, it advises, particularly for people who are not expected to live beyond another year.It says doctors must start from a presumption that life should be prolonged and "must not be motivated by a desire to bring about the patient's death".

Michelle Mitchell, Charity Director of Age UK, said: "Some 80% of people that die every year are 65 and over, yet older people often experience undignified and poorly planned care at the end of life."In addition, lack of access to the vital services they need can make an extremely difficult time even more distressing."

This guidance highlights the need for doctors to identify people who are nearing the end of life, so they can effectively plan care in partnership with patients and their families."Visit Age Uk for more information on travel insurance medical conditions. View original article here: “Patients given treatment choice” .

Age UK welcomes commission on care reform in Queen’s Speech

Michelle Mitchell, Age UK Charity Director, said:

“We welcome the announcement of a commission on long-term care reform in today’s Queen’s Speech. Reform is urgently needed as the current care system is starved of funding, too few people receive services and the quality of care can be poor.

“Although we recognise the urgency of cutting the budget deficit and the likelihood of spending cuts across public services, the new Government must guarantee protection of existing national and local care budgets in next month’s emergency budget so that the crisis does not deepen any further. Future cuts would have devastating consequences on people’s lives and drive up demand for emergency healthcare.

“We welcome today’s announcements on reducing health inequalities. As part of this, we urge the Government to look at a whole-system review of the implications of ageing for the NHS, aiming at improving public health into late old age and reconfiguring services around people in later life.”

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Notes to Editors

Age UK is the new force combining Age Concern and Help the Aged. We will be known by our new name from Spring 2010. The Age UK family includes Age Scotland, Age Cymru and Age NI.

Media contact: Stefano Gelmini
Tel: 020 8765 7514
Out of hours: 07071 243 243

View the original article: Age UK welcomes commission on care reform

Age UK response to the latest poverty figures

Commenting on the Households Below Average Income figures, published today by the DWP, Michelle Mitchell, Charity Director at Age UK, said:

“It’s extremely welcome that 200,000 pensioners have been lifted out of poverty but there’s a long way to go to help the 1.8 million pensioners still struggling below the poverty line.

“The new government’s commitment to re-link the state pension to earnings from April 2011 with a “triple guarantee” is a good start. However in the short-term the coalition must move quickly towards paying benefits automatically so that the poorest and most vulnerable older people receive all the financial help they’re entitled to. Clearly there are huge challenges ahead for the new government but now is the time to renew the fight against pensioner poverty and commit to eradicating it once and for all.”

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Notes to Editors

• There are 1.8 million pensioners in poverty (defined as below 60% of contemporary median income) this year (2008/09) – this number is down 200,000 (2 percentage points) from last year (2007/08) when there were 2 million pensioners in poverty. More detail on the statistics can be found on the Department for Work and Pensions' website. For further analysis, please contact Helen Spinney in the Age UK media team on the above contact details.
• Age UK is the new force combining Age Concern and Help the Aged. The Age UK family includes Age Scotland, Age Cymru and Age NI. For further information, please visit our About Us section.

Media contact: Helen Spinney
Tel: 020 8765 7502
Out of hours: 07071 243 243

View the original article on the Age UK website: Age UK response to the latest poverty figures