There is nothing brave about signing a 'Do not resuscitate' order

As someone who has lived with kidney cancer for many years, I have already addressed many of the questions others are having to ask themselves in light of coronavirus: What exactly is CPR? When should it be attempted? What do different life-prolonging treatments entail? What is their likelihood of success?

All of a sudden these questions are up for public comment and debate. And rightly so, we desperately need a frank, grown-up conversation about how we die, not just how to plan our funeral. Coronavirus may well change the way we talk about death and dying for good.

But the majority of the discussions I’ve seen play out over recent weeks have not involved those of us with life limiting and terminal illnesses. This is particularly galling when questions arise about when treatment should be refused, who should make these decisions and what a good death should look like. Surely we are in the strongest position to answer them?