Diocesan News
Palliative care specialist Baroness Finlay to visit the Isle of Man in February
Tuesday 24th January 2012
Bishop Robert Paterson with an active interest in quality of palliative care provision, has moved to arrange high quality input to the Isle of Man by Baroness Ilora Finlay. Professor the Baroness Finlay of Llandaff is a practising doctor, Professor of Palliative Medicine at Cardiff University School of Medicine, and an independent Cross Bench member of the House of Lords. During her visit on Monday 20th February she will be visiting Hospice Isle of Man, and will be giving a public lunchtime lecture in St George's Church, Douglas.
Baroness Finlay has had longstanding commitment to palliative care. Earlier in her medical career Baroness Finlay left general practice to become a full-time hospice doctor because she wanted to improve the care of the dying. Subsequently the terminal illness of her own mother in old age caused Baroness Finlay great distress, as she wanted to help her mother have hope, while her mother was determined she should die. Baroness Finlay describes how the hospice chaplain 'unlocked the door'. "Wise enough to realise there was no point talking about God to this agnostic lady and experienced enough to know we all have a story, he quietly and patiently asked Mum to tell him hers. And so he sat, this quiet, unassuming man, and listened, soaking up the years, as she told him her views and philosophy on life. And it was in this telling that it dawned on Mum that her decrepit body still held an active mind."
The subject of the public lunchtime lecture at St George's Church in Douglas is "Palliative Care, the Liverpool Pathway and issues surrounding Euthanasia", and will be followed by discussion. The session is from 12.30 to 2pm and all are welcome.
Bishop Robert is delighted that Baroness Finlay is able to come over to the Island as she and her family used to worship at a church of which he was vicar at one time. Commenting on the visit Bishop Robert said, "Tynwald has been tackling debates on issues of palliative care and euthanasia in recent months and I believe that Baroness Finlay brings experience and knowledge which will be invaluable to us all - in government, caring professions, or families - as we try to make good decisions about end of life care here on the Isle of Man".