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End-of-life care and human rights: A practitioner’s guide

Sue Ryder has worked in collaboration with the British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) to produce this guide for practitioners caring for people at the end of their lives.

The front cover of the End of life care human rights practitioners guide

Human rights practitioners guide

Download PDF guide

Who is this guide for?

  • The guide is for practitioners caring for people at the end of their lives. This may be in a hospice, a care home, a hospital or in the community (including people’s homes).
  • It may also be useful for people receiving end-of-life care, and their friends, family and carers.
  • No previous knowledge of human rights or the Human Rights Act is needed.

The human rights information in this guide covers the UK; references to health law, practice and institutions refer to England.

What is included in the guide?

The aim of this guide is to support you to deliver care services that respect human rights by providing accessible information about human rights and how they are relevant in an end of life context.

Practical advice

It offers practical assistance when navigating difficult decisions which may impact on the human rights of the people you work with and for.

Decision making tools

The guide includes decision-making flowcharts to pull out and keep with you for everyday use.

Case studies

We have provided case studies to help you understand how human rights apply in everyday situations.

More information and advice

Patient sat up in her bed, smiling at a member of the Sue Ryder care team
Training: A human rights approach to end-of-life care
Our online training workshop aims to empower health and social care professionals to deliver personalised, compassionate and dignified end-of-life care.
A nurse in a dark blue uniform is sat next to a bed, where a female patient is sitting. In the foreground is the back of another woman.
Improving end-of-life care
We listen carefully to people who are dying, their loved ones and the professionals that support them, and we campaign to make sure everyone can have a good death.
A nurse in a light blue Sue Ryder uniform smiles at a female patient sat up in a bed.
For healthcare professionals
We have a variety of information and resources available for health and social care professionals.