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| Assisted dying law is dangerous and cruel, say senior doctors | Assisted dying law is dangerous and cruel, say senior doctors |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| The law on assisted dying is “dangerous, cruel” and forcing terminally ill patients to end their lives abroad, a group of senior doctors warns as MPs prepare to debate the issue this week. | The law on assisted dying is “dangerous, cruel” and forcing terminally ill patients to end their lives abroad, a group of senior doctors warns as MPs prepare to debate the issue this week. |
| The doctors urged parliament to approve Labour MP Rob Marris’s private member’s bill, which would let someone with less than six months left to live to die, with a doctor helping them, if that was their “clear and settled intention”. | The doctors urged parliament to approve Labour MP Rob Marris’s private member’s bill, which would let someone with less than six months left to live to die, with a doctor helping them, if that was their “clear and settled intention”. |
| In a letter published in the Guardian the 29 authors – 27 doctors and two nurses – claim the proposed legalisation will help ensure safeguards are in place for a practice that is already happening “behind closed doors” and would let patients choose when they die. | In a letter published in the Guardian the 29 authors – 27 doctors and two nurses – claim the proposed legalisation will help ensure safeguards are in place for a practice that is already happening “behind closed doors” and would let patients choose when they die. |
| Related: Medical profession’s views on the assisted dying bill | |
| “As healthcare professionals we believe that the current law prohibiting assisted dying is dangerous, cruel and in direct conflict with out duty to care for our patients,” they write. “Forcing people to travel abroad to die or to end their own lives in this country in distressing circumstances is not consistent with patient-centred care.” | “As healthcare professionals we believe that the current law prohibiting assisted dying is dangerous, cruel and in direct conflict with out duty to care for our patients,” they write. “Forcing people to travel abroad to die or to end their own lives in this country in distressing circumstances is not consistent with patient-centred care.” |
| Signatories include Sir Muir Gray, the NHS’s chief knowledge officer; Henry Marsh, a prominent neurosurgeon; and Dr Sheila Adam, a former deputy chief medical officer. They also include seven past presdents of some of the medical royal colleges which represent doctors professionally, two ex-presidents of the British Medical Association and a former chief nursing officer for England. | Signatories include Sir Muir Gray, the NHS’s chief knowledge officer; Henry Marsh, a prominent neurosurgeon; and Dr Sheila Adam, a former deputy chief medical officer. They also include seven past presdents of some of the medical royal colleges which represent doctors professionally, two ex-presidents of the British Medical Association and a former chief nursing officer for England. |
| “We want terminally ill people to have the choice of assisted dying should their suffering become unbearable to them during the last few days or weeks of their life,” they say. | “We want terminally ill people to have the choice of assisted dying should their suffering become unbearable to them during the last few days or weeks of their life,” they say. |
| The letter has been organised by Dr Jacky Davis, an NHS radiologist and chair of Healthcare Professionals for Assisted Dying, part of the Dignity in Dying campaign group. | The letter has been organised by Dr Jacky Davis, an NHS radiologist and chair of Healthcare Professionals for Assisted Dying, part of the Dignity in Dying campaign group. |
| MPs are coming under pressure from both sides of the right-to-die debate as they prepare to debate it on Friday for the first time since 1997. Since then only peers have discussed the highly emotive subject when examining bills seeking to allow it, with safeguards, put forward by Lord Joffe, in 2004 and 2006, and ex-Labour lord chancellor Lord Falconer last year. | MPs are coming under pressure from both sides of the right-to-die debate as they prepare to debate it on Friday for the first time since 1997. Since then only peers have discussed the highly emotive subject when examining bills seeking to allow it, with safeguards, put forward by Lord Joffe, in 2004 and 2006, and ex-Labour lord chancellor Lord Falconer last year. |
| The leaders of the country’s Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh communities have written a joint letter to them urging rejection of Marris’s plans. Last weekend Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, warned that Britain would cross a “legal and ethical Rubicon” if it embraced doctor-assisted suicide. And Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Westminster, has condemned the bill as legalising “assisted killing” which would “gravely undermine” the value of human life. | The leaders of the country’s Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh communities have written a joint letter to them urging rejection of Marris’s plans. Last weekend Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, warned that Britain would cross a “legal and ethical Rubicon” if it embraced doctor-assisted suicide. And Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Westminster, has condemned the bill as legalising “assisted killing” which would “gravely undermine” the value of human life. |
| Under Marris’s bill, two doctors and a family court judge would assess whether a patient’s diagnosis, expected lifespan and mental competence made them eligible to choose an assisted death. While a doctor could prescribe and prepare the necessary medication, the patient would have to take it themselves unaided, though with a health professional present. | Under Marris’s bill, two doctors and a family court judge would assess whether a patient’s diagnosis, expected lifespan and mental competence made them eligible to choose an assisted death. While a doctor could prescribe and prepare the necessary medication, the patient would have to take it themselves unaided, though with a health professional present. |
| The signatories seek to allay fears that legalising assisted dying would lead to vulnerable people being pressurised by relatives to end their lives by stating that Oregon, which gave people a right to die in 1997, has seen no cases of abuse as a result and no extension of the law. | The signatories seek to allay fears that legalising assisted dying would lead to vulnerable people being pressurised by relatives to end their lives by stating that Oregon, which gave people a right to die in 1997, has seen no cases of abuse as a result and no extension of the law. |
| The authors’ views do not reflect those of doctors more widely, though. The Royal College of Physicians, which represents hospital doctors, opposes a change in the law. While almost one in three (32%) of its members favour doctors being able to help terminally ill patients die, 58% are opposed, a survey last year showed. | The authors’ views do not reflect those of doctors more widely, though. The Royal College of Physicians, which represents hospital doctors, opposes a change in the law. While almost one in three (32%) of its members favour doctors being able to help terminally ill patients die, 58% are opposed, a survey last year showed. |
| The Royal College of GPs is also opposed. When it asked 1,700 of its members last year for their views of what the college’s position should be on assisted dying just 5% backed a legal change while 77% wanted it to remain against and the other 18% favoured neutrality. | The Royal College of GPs is also opposed. When it asked 1,700 of its members last year for their views of what the college’s position should be on assisted dying just 5% backed a legal change while 77% wanted it to remain against and the other 18% favoured neutrality. |
| Groups opposed to assisted dying criticised those who have signed the letter. “The views of this tiny group of well-known assisted suicide advocates ... are well out of step with the profession at large and every disability rights organisation in the UK,” said Dr Peter Saunders, campaign director of Care Not Killing. | Groups opposed to assisted dying criticised those who have signed the letter. “The views of this tiny group of well-known assisted suicide advocates ... are well out of step with the profession at large and every disability rights organisation in the UK,” said Dr Peter Saunders, campaign director of Care Not Killing. |
| “The vast majority of UK doctors are opposed to legalising all forms euthanasia, along with the British Medical Association, the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Association for Palliative Medicine, and the British Geriatric Society. Those closest to dying patients are most strongly opposed because they both understand their vulnerability and know how to manage their symptoms.” | “The vast majority of UK doctors are opposed to legalising all forms euthanasia, along with the British Medical Association, the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Association for Palliative Medicine, and the British Geriatric Society. Those closest to dying patients are most strongly opposed because they both understand their vulnerability and know how to manage their symptoms.” |
| Nikki Kenward, who is disabled and also the creative director of the anti-euthanasia group Alert: Defending Vulnerable People’s Right to Live, said: “Those of us who are disabled or have life threatening conditions know first-hand of the already considerable prejudice and pressure that is put on us already, even by some of the medical establishment. | Nikki Kenward, who is disabled and also the creative director of the anti-euthanasia group Alert: Defending Vulnerable People’s Right to Live, said: “Those of us who are disabled or have life threatening conditions know first-hand of the already considerable prejudice and pressure that is put on us already, even by some of the medical establishment. |
| “The current law on assisted suicide is a bulwark of protection for vulnerable people against vested interest. To demolish it would be dangerous, cruel and in direct conflict with the medical duty to put the interests of the patient first.” | “The current law on assisted suicide is a bulwark of protection for vulnerable people against vested interest. To demolish it would be dangerous, cruel and in direct conflict with the medical duty to put the interests of the patient first.” |