"Dignity in dying"

At end of 2017, my sister had to be admitted to hospital. Her symptoms were such that caused her difficulties with swallowing and breathing. She had been in hospital approx 5 days when it was decided there was nothing more that could be done and she was to be transferred to the hospice.

She was in Victoria in a respiratory Ward. No 43 (if I remember correctly) and the nurses were great, especially a student nurse. However this was a busy ward and if I'm honest, it wasn't really the type of care I expected for someone who was coming to the end of their life. We had to wait near enough a week before transferring to the hospice.

Whilst I realise and understand that people can only be transferred if a bed is available but that is the point I'm trying to make. 14 beds in Kirkcaldy and 9 beds in Dunfermline is not enough for this area. We pay a lot of attention to treating the living but what about dignity in dying. A bed in a general ward in a hospital is not the place to be when you are told you are going to die.

More should be done to get funding for more beds in hospices. When my sister was eventually transferred to the hospice in Dunfermline, the first thing she managed to say was that it was homely and she was relaxed.

Sadly she only lived for 5 days after being transferred there but I really wish she had been able to be transferred there earlier and had more time with the different level of care being given.