Talking about dying : a conversation with two patients.

London : University of London Audio-Visual Centre, 1972.

1 encoded moving image (38.02 min.) : sound, black and white

00:38:02

University of London

Restricted

In English

Introduced by Barbara McNulty, St Chrisotpher's Hospice, London. Produced by Peter Bowen. Made by University of London Audio-Visual Centre. Made for British Postgraduate Medical Federation.

This video is one of around 310 titles, originally broadcast on Channel 7 of the ILEA closed-circuit television network, given to Wellcome Trust from the University of London Audio-Visual Centre shortly after it closed in the late 1980s. Although some of these programmes might now seem rather out-dated, they probably represent the largest and most diversified body of medical video produced in any British university at this time, and give a comprehensive and fascinating view of the state of medical and surgical research and practice in the 1970s and 1980s, thus constituting a contemporary medical-historical archive of great interest. The lectures mostly take place in a small and intimate studio setting and are often face-to-face. The lecturers use a wide variety of resources to illustrate their points, including film clips, slides, graphs, animated diagrams, charts and tables as well as 3-dimensional models and display boards with movable pieces. Some of the lecturers are telegenic while some are clearly less comfortable about being recorded; all are experts in their field and show great enthusiasm to share both the latest research and the historical context of their specialist areas.

Segment 1 McNulty opens the programme by talking about St Christopher's Hospice and briefly introducing the two patients about to appear. Time start: 00:00:00:00 Time end: 00:03:45:00 Length: 00:03:45:00

Segment 2 This part takes place in a small room in which McNulty, two male patients and their wives are seated around a coffee table in discussion. Mr P speaks first and talks about his diagnosis, which he didn't find out about until quite far into his illness. Time start: 00:03:45:00 Time end: 00:10:56:00 Length: 00:07:11:00

Segment 3 McNulty turns to Mr E and he describes how he was diagnosed and told about his condition much earlier in his illness than Mr P was. Time start: 00:10:56:00 Time end: 00:14:53:00 Length: 00:03:57:00

Segment 4 Mr E talks about keeping his sense of humour and Mrs E joins in the conversation. McNulty talks to Mrs P and asks why they didn't tell Mr P earlier on how ill he was. Mr P says he didn't suspect he had cancer but Mr E says he did. But still he and his wife both cried when they got the official diagnosis. Time start: 00:14:53:00 Time end: 00:21:32:00 Length: 00:06:39:00

Segment 5 Mr P and Mr E both talk about their feelings about death. Neither feels afraid. They also talk about how their lives have changed and they can no longer work like they used to. Time start: 00:21:32:00 Time end: 00:27:59:00 Length: 00:06:27:00

Segment 6 Mr E and Mr P talk about the attitudes towards them of hospital staff, surgeons and other medics they have encountered. As their conversation ends, McNulty goes through a list of drugs they were taking at the time they were filmed. The programme ends with some touching words from earlier in the discussion replayed. Time start: 00:27:59:00 Time end: 00:32:23:00 Length: 00:04:24:00

Segment 7 Mr P and Mr E talk about how useful it has been to talk to other people who are dying of cancer. Time start: 00:32:23:00 Time end: 00:38:02:10 Length: 00:05:39:00