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Not Dead Yet UK launches video blog

In order to keep our supporters in touch with our activities Sian Vasey, a Not Dead Yet UK supporter has launched a new video blog which we hope will become a regular part of our campaign to resist changes to the assisted dying law.

You can watch the video by clicking on this link Not Dead Yet UK Video Blog May 2015

Here is the text of the Blog

Hello, my name is Sian Vasey and this is a news blog from Not Dead Yet UK. Not dead yet is the network of disabled people opposed to the legalisation of assisted dying.

We work with other groups to make the opposition case against change in the law. Last year, we led on disabled peoples’ participation in demonstrations held outside the House of Lords during the debate on Lord Falconer’s Bill. We also put people forward for a vast amount of media coverage because we want disabled people to be very visible in the debate.

This news blog aims to keep people connected during the gaps between these busy times. We’ll keep you updated on what other groups such as Care Not Killing and Dying and Living Well are doing and also what’s happening in other countries where assisted dying or, as we believe it should be called, assisted suicide, has actually been made legal.

We want to keep you informed and we need your ideas and your stories. Why are you opposed to assisted dying? We need to know you’re out there and we want you to be part of what we’re doing, so please contact us through the Not Dead yet website or on Facebook via Liz Carr’s Facebook page.

We’ll get the next block to you very soon, so do keep a lookout.

By for now.

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Kevin Fitzpatrick personal view on the death of Terry Pratchett

Conversation with Terry Pratchett

My first ‘outing’ on the assisted suicide/euthanasia debate was a student debate in Trinity College Dublin. I was very new to the subject and in truth, a very slick Phillip Nitschke wiped the floor with me. I swore it would never happen again, although something similar did, just once more, a couple of months later when the supposedly independent chair of a debate in London, Jon Snow, aggressively turned on those of us who were opposed to legalising any third party intervention in decision-making at the end of someone’s life. I have learned a great deal since then, have a much deeper understanding of the catastrophic consequences of laws permitting assisted suicide/euthanasia.

Another of my opponents in Trinity that evening was Sir Terry Pratchett. He asked me for a conversation afterwards, and I was happy to oblige, to try to understand his thinking and motivation better.

He struck me as an intelligent, considered, but understandably frightened man. As much as I detest what he has done to promote such terrible outcomes, I think he was genuine in his fear. He listened respectfully to me, in complete contrast to Nitschke, and we spoke for as long as possible with the queue of ardent young fans waiting for his autograph and a chance to speak to their hero. I could not deny them for very long. He was as kind to them as he had been in seeking me out in the first place.

I thought it interesting how little he seemed to be fronting the media coverage of the debate after Dublin. Though I have no insight into why, except that he won the audience hearts that night by pausing frequently to search for his words. They too reacted with natural human sympathy for a man faced with an uncertain future apart from the knowledge that death would not be far away. He did say he was finding it harder to do stints like this. Barely three and a half years later, he has died at the early age of 66, from his ‘embuggerance’, Alzheimer’s Disease.

I discovered a gentle man, concerned to listen and evaluate anew. Would that I had had the depth of knowledge I do now – at the time I had nothing to offer him that might have changed his mind. For I think he would have listened. I have no wish to be disrespectful to the man, which is more than I can say for Nitschke who, thankfully, has just been struck off by the Australian Medical Association. The contrast between an intelligent, thoughtful and deeply worried man and the other one, could not be greater. Pratchett had a warm reaction to me that led me to believe he was more in solidarity with me as a disabled man than he was with Australia’s Doctor Death.

I have said nothing since about Terry Pratchett except what I repeat here now. Some of my colleagues in opposition to legalising assisted suicide/euthanasia might find it strange, distasteful, even wrong that I should say this much about him, but on the only evidence I have, I stand by this: he was convinced by his own experience of suffering. He drew conclusions diametrically opposed to mine. But he also witnessed the death of Peter Smedley in that awful Swiss house, and so watched a man struggling to die for more than half an hour, choking to death in the most terrible way, enduring the very kind of death he had sought to avoid at all costs. How that affected the world-famous author I do not know.

If reports are to be believed he found solace in his true vocation, his writing. I hope his lasting legacy will come from that aspect of his life, which enriched so many, rather than this other campaign. I desperately hope others in the pro-death lobby will resist the urge to make political capital from his passing. But I doubt it – cynicism is their sinecure.

He died the kind of death I imagine we all want, at home with his loving family and his cat on his bed. I hope he got what he wanted, a peaceful end, painless as possible, free from distress as far as it is possible in the process of dying. For as I said, regardless of how I feel about what he was promoting and how wrong I think he was about the consequences, he was convinced and could argue for it respectfully. It is with the same respect he showed me that I say again, he was a gentleman, and I for one am sorry we have lost all the good things that Sir Terry Pratchett brought to the world not least his books that have given and will give pleasure for decades to come.

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Seminar to discuss the Assisted Dying Bill 25th February 2015 House of Lords

YOU ARE INVITED TO A SEMINAR TO TAKE PLACE IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS ON THE 25th FEBRUARY 2015 5pm – 7pm

This event is hosted and chaired by: Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE and Baroness Jane Campbell of Surbiton

BRINGING TOGETHER: NOT DEAD YET, ALERT, Defending Vulnerable People’s Right to Live and THE DISTANT VOICES WHAT IS THE SEMINAR ABOUT?

The Seminar will focus on where we are up to on the Assisted Dying Bill, especially in terms of the legislative programme and discussing strategies for when the Bill will almost certainly return after the election. STRATEGIES: We would welcome any suggestions as to how to move the campaign forward and an opportunity will be available to pitch ideas. We need advance notice of your wish to pitch so that we may allocate time, (approximately 5 minutes) to you. BUSINESS: Elspeth Chowdharay-Best (ALERT) is also taking advantage of this event to step down as Honorary Secretary for this organisation. DISTANT VOICES will be taking over ALERT and hope to bring some fresh ideas to the table and to build on Elspeth’s years of hard work for vulnerable people.

ADMISSION, please state how many people you are bringing Will be by invitation only, please RSVP by email or phone 01588 660528, let us know who and how many people you are bringing.

Due to the short notice for this event please bring along this email as your verification to gain entrance. To ensure that the meeting can start promptly at 5pm. please arrive at the Cromwell Green Visitors Entrance no later than 4.15pm, to give us all time to go through security.

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Collection of Press and associated articles supplied by Living and Dying Well

Falconer Bill; assisted suicide/dying, UK

‘Living and Dying Well: three reflections’: http://sluggerotoole.com/2015/01/24/living-and-dying-well-three-reflections-on-assisted-dying/

‘Like Stephen Hawking, I’m past my sell-by date’: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2915030/Like-Stephen-Hawking-m-past-sell-date-law-help-people-die-wrong-moving-speech-severely-disabled-peer-against-Assisted-Dying-Bill.html#ixzz3Px4nXGWp

‘Lord Cashman: When my husband was dying I contemplated suicide’: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/01/17/lord-cashman-when-my-husband-was-dying-i-contemplated-suicide/

‘Assisted Dying Bill threatens doctor-patient relationship’: http://bma.org.uk/news-views-analysis/news/2015/january/assisted-dying-bill-threatens-doctor-patient-relationship 

‘GP warning as Lords vote brings assisted dying closer’: http://www.gponline.com/gp-warning-lords-vote-brings-assisted-dying-closer/article/1329734  

Coverage of Association of Palliative Medicine letter to the media and a Chesterfield’s Ashgate Hospice expert opposes assisted dying Bill: http://www.matlockmercury.co.uk/news/local/chesterfield-s-ashgate-hospice-expert-opposes-assisted-dying-bill-1-7058222

Peers seek to limit law on assisted dying’: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/peers-seek-to-limit-law-on-assisted-dying-9970344.html  

‘Top doctor in warning on assisted dying’: http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/scotland/article1505877.ece?CMP=OTH-gnws-standard-2015_01_10

‘Experts raise new concerns over bid to legalise assisted suicide’: http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/experts-raise-new-concerns-over-bid-to-legalise-assisted-suicide.116324071

‘Hospice chief warns against assisted suicide for youngsters’: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/scotland/article4334688.ece?CMP=OTH-gnws-standard-2015_01_25

‘Kirk minister backs assisted dying in principle’: https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/politics/holyrood/467981/kirk-minister-backs-assisted-dying-in-principle/

Assisted suicide around the world

‘New rules about assisted suicide may be introduced in the near future’, Germany:

https://www.deutschland.de/en/topic/life/society-integration/dying-in-dignity-euthanasia

‘Court of appeals to hear arguments on assisted suicide in New Mexico’: http://www.kob.com/article/stories/s3687495.shtml#.VMZGBcJyaUk

‘Does Your Right To Life Include The Right To Die?’, USA: http://www.forbes.com/sites/paulhsieh/2015/01/26/right-to-die/ 

‘A humane alternative to physician-assisted suicide’, USA: http://blogs.wsj.com/experts/2015/01/23/a-humane-alternative-to-physician-assisted-suicide/

‘Discussion over ‘death with dignity’ emerging in Maryland’: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-hs-death-dignity-supporters-20150117-story.html#page=1

Euthanasia around the world

‘Euthanasia for dying toddler rejected’, China: http://shanghaiist.com/2015/01/26/euthanasia_for_dying_toddler_in_anh.php

‘Polls Show Majority Supporting Euthanasia’, Slovenia:

http://www.sta.si/en/vest.php?s=a&id=2094217

‘Euthanasia clinic criticised for helping woman with severe tinnitus to die’, Holland:http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2015/01/euthanasia-clinic-criticised-for-helping-woman-with-severe-tinnitus-to-die.php/

‘Clinic reprimanded for tinnitus euthanasia’, Holland: http://www.nltimes.nl/2015/01/19/clinic-reprimanded-tinnitus-euthanasia/#comment-1804378167

Australian MP and advocate of euthanasia dies: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/first-openly-gay-state-mp-paul-ogrady-dies-in-sydney-20150118-12sm40.html

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Demo begins at Houses of Parliament at 9:30am 16th January

Kill the Bill Not Us!

We really need your support on Friday the 16th January

The House of Lords is going into committee again to debate Lord Falconer’s Assisted Dying Bill on Friday the 16th of January 2015.

They will be specifically looking at amendments concerning the definition of terminal illness and the role of doctors in assisted death.

Not Dead Yet UK will once again be showing its opposition and its strength by gathering outside the Houses of Parliament from 9:30am on the morning of the 16th until 1 pm at the latest. We need your presence and also your ideas as to how we can make this protest as effective as possible.

Please do your best to join us on the day and let us know if you have ideas for how we can make our point effectively.

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Kill the Bill Demonstration 16th January

Kill the Bill Not Us!

We really need your support on Friday the 16th January

The House of Lords is going into committee again to debate Lord Falconer’s Assisted Dying Bill on Friday the 16th of January 2015.

They will be specifically looking at amendments concerning the definition of terminal illness and the role of doctors in assisted death.

Not Dead Yet UK will once again be showing its opposition and its strength by gathering outside the Houses of Parliament from on the morning of the 16th until 1 pm at the latest. (Precise timings will be published on our website nearer the time). We need your presence and also your ideas as to how we can make this protest as effective as possible.

Please do your best to join us on the day and let us know if you have ideas for how we can make our point effectively.

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Reith Lecture

Don Brand writes

Excellent Reith lecture this morning on medical approaches to end-of-life and what’s wrong with them (doctors too busy giving patients information, don’t ask them questions and listen to the answers. But the lecturer, a distinguished Indian/US surgeon, touched very briefly on assisted dying in the lecture, and this was opened up in the discussion. Chairman of Dignity in Dying in the audience, taking the party line, but a very measured response from the lecturer – he gave the view that it might be cruel to withhold the AD option for the small number of people who really were suffering intolerable and un-relievable pain and distress, and mentioned that AD was available in a number of US States. But he went on to quote the figures for Oregon, that less than 1% of people requested the prescription, and half of them chose not to use it; and compared that with the position in Belgium and the Netherlands, where the figures were around 4%, and the commonest reason people gave was that they didn’t want to be a burden. He felt this was very dangerous, and indicated that  doctors had got too much power and responsibility in their systems. He was arguing strongly for supporting people to take control of the decisions in the final stages, asking questions that will enable them to say what they want and, as important, what they fear might happen; letting them decide whether and when to discontinue treatment; and making sure the option is available of going home with hospice services.

At the end of this part of the Q&A, the chair asked if anyone in the audience wanted to offer a different view from the DiD consultant, and nobody did. “Cowards” was the lecturer’s quiet response.

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Royal College of Physicians reaffirms position against assisted dying

A survey of the fellows and members of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has shown that a majority of respondents still do not support a change in the law on assisted dying. This broadly reflects the overarching result of the RCP’s 2006 survey, although the number taking this position has fallen. The RCP recognises that this is a difficult and personal issue for doctors and society, and therefore RCP Council felt it was important to consult fellows and members.

The current UK legal position is that assisting another person’s suicide is illegal.

The 2014 survey asked fellows and members four questions on the issue, covering their own personal opinion, and for the first time, a separate question on whether they believed the RCP as an organisation should have a position.  The survey included the exact wording of the question RCP first asked in 2006, so that the results could be directly compared to track changes in opinion.

The questions and answers are as follows:

  1. Do you support a change in the law to permit assisted suicide by the terminally ill with the assistance of doctors?

Yes                                                                      2168        32.3%

Yes, but not by doctors                                          684         10.2%

No                                                                      3858        57.5%

  1. We ask you to consider the following statement: ‘(We) believe that with improvements in palliative care, good clinical care can be provided within existing legislation, and that patients can die with dignity. A change in legislation is not needed.’ Do you agree? (The question asked in 2006)

Yes                                   4179        62.5%

No                                   2507        37.5%

Answers from 2006 survey for comparison:

Yes                                   3741        73.2%

No                                    1327        26.0%

Although there is still a majority opposing a change in the law on assisted dying, there has been a 10.7% decrease in the percentage of members and fellows holding this view since the survey was last conducted in 2006.

  1. What should the College’s position be on ‘assisted dying’ as defined in the RCP’s consultation document.

In favour                                  1649        24.6%

Opposed                                   2972        44.4%

Neutral/no stance                      2076        31.0%

  1. Regardless of your support or opposition to change, in the event of legislation receiving royal assent, would you personally be prepared to participate actively in ‘assisted dying’ as defined in the RCP’s consultation document.

In favour                                   1432        21.4%

Opposed                                   3904        58.4%

Neutral                                     1345        20.1%

A similar question was asked in 2006, and regardless of support for change, the percentages of those prepared to personally participate actively in a process to enable a patient to terminate their own life were very similar to the above results and were as follows:

In favour                                   18.9%

Opposed                                   59.4%

Uncertain                                  19.4%

Dr Andrew Goddard, RCP registrar and senior officer with responsibility for professional matters, said:

These results give us a basis for our position on assisted dying and for responding to proposed legislation, now and in the coming years.  Whilst there is still a majority against a change in the law, we recognise there has been a shift in opinion over the past eight years, and will continue to engage with members and fellows on this issue.

 

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News Round Up

News:

Peers say judges must sanction assisted dying cases (BBC):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29955423

 

Assisted Dying: judges could decide whether terminally ill should be allowed to die (The Telegraph):

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/assisted-dying/11216541/Assisted-dying-judges-could-decide-whether-terminally-ill-should-be-allowed-to-die.html

 

Lords back assisted dying provided judge gives final ruling (The Independent):

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/lords-back-assisted-dying-providing-judge-gives-final-ruling-9847705.html?origin=internalSearch

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House of Lords Debate 7th of November

A fantastic turnout by Not Dead Yet UK supporters to encourage those engaged in the Committee Stage debate in the House of Lords debate. Our supporters completely outnumbered the DiD campaigners and we had some excellent television/radio coverage. Well done to everyone who made the journey into London. Where would we be without such great support.

If you want to read more here is the link.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201415/ldhansrd/text/141107-0001.htm#14110775000728

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