My mother was told by the NHS that she had six to nine months left to live. That dreadful news was delivered at the end of July 2022 Devastatingly, she passed away only five days later. Those five days were filled with anxiety and an urgent, stressful rush to make lasting memories. No person should go through this experience during what should be a time of peace and love. A very close beloved friend received the horrible news just a few months ago and her family is now having to suffer the same fate me and my family have.

This heartbreaking personal encounter underscores the urgent need for reviewing the NHS practices concerning the communication of life expectancy to terminally ill patients. It is not uncommon for health practitioners to provide estimates, but the inaccuracy of these predications can lead to unnecessary and profound stress and anxiety for the patient and their families. They too often transform the patient's final days into a distressing countdown to death.

Statistics from a study published in the British Medical Journal showed that clinicians often overestimate the life expectancy of terminally ill patients, thereby triggering unnecessary distress (BMJ, 2016). This petition seeks to implore the NHS and the Department of Health to review this practice and consider methodologies that cause less emotional trauma in these troubling times.

The importance of mental well-being during a terminal illness cannot be overstated, particularly when an individual should be spending quality time with their loved ones. By signing this petition, you are supporting the call for a more compassionate and accurate approach to how we communicate life expectancy estimates to terminally ill NHS patients. Let's ensure that no other family has to endure the distress and heartache that my mother and we, her family, experienced. Please sign the petition and join the call for change.