"This vision will be with me for life."

Our Health minister, Deb Matthews, claims our health care is getting better because we are cutting hospital services, and care in the community is picking up the slack. Well, here's one person's experience:

"Closing of palliative care! This is a farce. You take this away from the aging and sick public then you might as well shut the whole hospital. As it is, the six rooms are not enough.

My family was in dire need of palliative care in October 2009 but could not be helped. We needed a member of our family in hospital for the remainder of his days. He was in the hospital when he was told his life was at an end. He wanted and needed to remain in hospital. He was discharged.

The doctor in charge of his care told us to take him home. He was told his bed was needed for someone they could fix. How uncaring and rude.

How many other poor souls had this same thing happen?

How many families have had to watch a loved one die at home because the hospital refused to care for them?

I can tell you this: it is the most awful thing to go through, to watch the pain of the person and the hurt of the other family members. This vision will be with me for life.

Palliative care is a must in health care, To close this unit would be the hospital's own death.

By the way, my family member died at home one week after he was forced out. One week of hell for all of us -- all because he wasn't "fixable".

This from a letter in Northumberland Today.com on March 1. The writer was responding to reports that they might cut more hospital palliative care beds.

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