Death & Dying

Introduction

Death and dying is clearly a natural process and not a pathology, however it is a diagnosis that requires medical assessment, e.g. confirmation of death. 

Sadly it is a significant part of hospital and community medicine, here are some statistics to emphasise this:

1. 5% of patients admitted to hospital will die within their first 24hrs

2. 33% of patients admitted to hospital will die within a year of discharge

Therefore Hospitals have become important places to have the discussions around death, dying and end of life care. 

Specialties

This area predominantly affects palliative care but affects to a significant extent the majority of specialties. 

Resources and References

Written in 2025