My poor Father in law was diagnosed with pleural Mesothelioma over 2 years ago but has now reached a terminal phase . He is now suffering greatly with pain and dramatic weight loss. He spends much of his time in bed and is having difficulty swallowing so is now dehydrated and has developed an acute confusional state possible secondary to a biochemical imbalance . He is being cared for at home by his wife with minimal support. Of my many concerns it is very distressing to see him suffer so much and to be getting minimal input form any professional service apart from a weekly visit from a McMillan nurse for which we are all so grateful . The GP has never visited and indeed queried the need for any help and they are unable to make contact except by going to the surgery.
At present he has developed what may be a medical emergency but there seems to be no means of getting hep including the emergency service who told them they can't access his record.
The situation seems cruel and so distressing . I'm so sad that end of life care has become so difficult and so worrying for anyone suffering from terminal cancer. I am so grateful for the McMillan charity in providing some very limited support but disappointed that medical care has gone back to a time before my training in the 1980s and should be a huge concern to all.
