“The family is often doing everything to avoid the conversation going to ‘the worst place’ in case it gets emotionally horrible. But actually it becomes a lot calmer once you start asking: If she is so sick, she can’t be saved what sort of things should we all be doing now so we don’t regret anything? I don’t want them to wish in two week’s time, when they’re suffering agonising grief, that they’d had that conversation.” Palliative care consultant, Dr Kathryn Mannix.