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Care of the Dying

From where will the Minister draw his definition of palliative care? The World Health Organisation defines palliative care as"““the total care of patients whose disease is not responsive to curative treatment””." However, a diagnostic, disease-based definition means that one needs to identify the disease first. As the Parkinson Society points out, Parkinson’s is a disease, but it is not a terminal illness. The issue is like dancing on the head of a pin and I hope that the Minister will look closely at it.