Citation

Marshall S, Rowland AG, Higgins S, Woods C, Jones L, Ranote S, Lawrie I, Murphy F. Br. J. Child Health 2020; 1(4): 161.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, MA Healthcare)

DOI

10.12968/chhe.2020.1.4.161

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Children have been largely excluded from visiting dying parents. In hospitals, children became almost invisible. Due to infection risks, hospitals, hospices and care homes introduced severely restricted visiting rules although compassionate visiting at the end of life was introduced by many organisations part-way through the pandemic in the UK. While organisations tried to ensure that patients did not die alone, the chances of family members being present at the end of life reduced dramatically. Acknowledging concerns around infection, it is difficult to see how such a blanket visitation ban is consistent with children's Article 8 rights. Health and social care workers are trained to support families facing bereavement, but the restrictions imposed may have prevented them from providing optimal care.

The pandemic has disproportionately affected our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, as well as caused an increase in mental health problems with an increase in childhood presentations (Holmes et al, 2020). This widens inequity further.

'… we call upon all professionals and organisations providing care to dying patients to ensure that children's rights are recognised and protected.'

Children are susceptible to depression, fear, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder during lockdown; social isolation, separation from peers and the loss of school support will intensify these issues. Repeated media coverage of COVID-19 deaths and infection risk can only heighten children's fear.

It is crucial that the rights of children are protected during the remainder of the pandemic and we call upon all professionals and organisations providing care to dying patients to ensure that children's rights are recognised and protected...

Language: en