20:20 VISION – THE SHAPE OF THE FUTURE FOR PALLIATIVE CARE
The National Council for Palliative Care, 2005
16pp
RRP £10
Available from www.ncpc.org.uk
This booklet is the report of progress to date of 20:20 Vision, The National Council for Palliative Care’s group charged with the task of identifying what the palliative care needs of society will be in 20 years time and developing long-term policy to meet those needs. The material is presented as eight themes: Demographic change—An ageing society/Grey power and consumerism/Workforce changes/Cultural and ethnic diversity/Epidemiological change/A society engaged with its health?/Living alone and in communities/Invigorating civil society.
Whilst written for Palliative Care in the United Kingdom , most of the issues discussed are generic and would apply to the future development of palliative care in any developed society. The material is well presented and is thought-provoking. I had wondered whether the politically-correct march to consumerism in health care was really an advance or not, and noted with interest the recent Lancet editorial (April 30) that said “The strategic mistake made by politicians is to put the patient before everything else in the quest to achieve effective health care.” At £10, this booklet is not cheap but I think it will be of use to anyone who is involved with policy development for the palliative care services of the future.
Roger Woodruff
Director of Palliative Care, Austin Health, Melbourne , Australia
(May 2005)
