Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book outlines the challenges which arise in the provision of specialist palliative care. It addresses the practices associated with specialist palliative care such as palliative sedation and the withdrawal of artificial nutrition and hydration. The book also addresses the core issue is the legitimacy of the distinction between specialist palliative care and euthanasia. It highlights a number of human rights issues such as the need to respect the dignity of the terminally ill patient, access to appropriate palliative care, participation in decision-making, and equality of palliative care provision across different institutions. The book examines the regulatory framework for specialist palliative care in England and Wales, and Ireland. It argues that the legislation has the potential to impact negatively on the patient–doctor relationship and has serious consequences for the legitimacy of the distinction between euthanasia and specialist palliative care.