An interesting piece which puts forward some powerful arguments as to why allowing assisted dying might not be in the best interests of people who experience psychiatric difficulties.
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A message from Baroness Jane Campbell
“A message from me to those who know my support for resisting the calls to legalise assisted suicide in the UK.
As many of you will know, a group of disabled people came together under the name NOT DEAD YET UK over a decade ago to campaign against the Lord Joffe Assisted Dying Bill. Why did we initiate this campaign? There are many reasons which you can find on our website www.notdeadyetuk.org/
Today we produced an e-petition asking people to join us yet again, in our campaign to resist the legalisation of assisted suicide in the UK. This time in relation to Lord Falconer’s forthcoming Private Members Bill which will begin to open the door to state sanctioned assisted dying.
If you feel you can sign this petition I would be extremely grateful, it can be found at http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/david-cameron-follow-through-on-your-declared-support-for-the-idea-that-assisted-dying-should-not-be-legalised?recruiter=79727477&utm_campaign=mailto_link&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition
If you think you felt able to forward it to your friends and associates, we would also be very thankful.
Please do not feel any necessity to respond to this e-mail. I just want to Thank you for reading this and thinking about it.”
Kind regards
Jane.
Office of Baroness Campbell of Surbiton DBE
The recent case of an older woman ending her life at Dignitas because she couldn’t adapt to the modern world is yet more evidence of the need to maintain legal protection around assisted dying. The lady concerned was not terminally ill or severely disabled and yet Dignitas relaxed their own rules and helped her on her way. Not Dead Yet UK is deeply concerned that this demonstrates yet again that there is a slippery slope and we are definitely on it.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/retired-british-art-teacher-ends-life-at-dignitas-because-she-couldnt-adapt-to-modern-world-9242053.html
http://www.express.co.uk/comment/columnists/richard-and-judy/469987/The-tale-of-an-unwarranted-death-this-woman-needed-help-NOT-Dignitas
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Euthanasia is an emotionally charged issue for people on both sides of the debate. Proponents of euthanasia argue that a person suffering from terminal illness should be given the freedom to choose how and when they die. Such discourse is given weight by the Japanese term for the practice — anrakushi, which literally means “peaceful death.”
On the other hand, opponents generally argue that euthanasia is nothing short of murder, and the use of palliative care can often give a terminally ill person a more comfortable, dignified death. In some cases, they say, a desire to die prematurely is merely rooted in depression.
Read more by clicking the link http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2014/02/15/general/euthanasia-the-dilemma-of-choice/#.U0Kaza1dV1R
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David Cameron to oppose assisted dying vote.
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/mar/09/lib-dem-minister-norman-lamb-legalise-assisted-suicide
Baroness Campbell speaks out against a change in the law on assisted suicide. To read the article in full please click on this link http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10681076/Recession-has-heightened-euthanasia-danger-to-disabled-and-elderly-claims-peer.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/mik-scarlet/newborn-illness_b_4807888.html
More than 1,700 members responded to the consultation, which was open from 22 May 2013 until 9 October 2013. College members responded either as individuals, or through one of the RCGP Devolved Councils, one of the RCGP Faculties (local branches), or via a College committee or group.
The consultation was conducted through a range of methods, including debates at local meetings, online polls and individual correspondence. Today’s Council debate on the issue ended with a resolution to “maintain the College’s position of opposition to a change in the law on assisted dying”.
Seventy seven per cent of RCGP members who submitted individual responses to the consultation expressed the opinion that the College should remain opposed to a change in the law to permit assisted dying.
In addition, of the 28 RCGP bodies that took part in the consultation, 20 reported a majority view against a change in the law.
Although a minority of respondents put forward cases to shift the College’s collective position to ‘neutral’ or ‘in favour’ of a change in law on assisted dying, most respondents were against a change in the law for a range of reasons, including that a change in the legislation would:
– be detrimental to the doctor-patient relationship
– put the most vulnerable groups in society at risk
– be impossible to implement without eliminating the possibility that patients may be in some way coerced into the decision to die
– shift the focus away from investing in palliative care and treatments for terminal illnesses
– instigate a ‘slippery slope’ whereby it would only be a matter of time before assisted dying was extended to those who could not consent due to reasons of incapacity and the severely disabled.
In addition, some respondents thought that the possibility of a wrong decision being made was too high to take the risk.
The GP-patient relationship, with GPs often attending patients in the final days and hours of their lives, means that GPs would be one of the professional groups most affected by any change in the law on assisted dying.
The decision to consult with members on this issue was made at the RCGP’s governing Council meeting in February 2013 to acknowledge that some members’ views might have changed and to take into account that many new members had joined the College since 2005, when the position was last debated.
The RCGP is the largest membership organisation in the UK solely for GPs, with over 49,000 members, making it the most representative voice in the UK for GPs.
The consultation included all of the College’s Faculties, Devolved Councils and relevant College committees, including the RCGP Patient Participation Group.
Dr Maureen Baker, Chair of the RCGP, said:
“This was one of the most comprehensive consultations the College has ever undertaken and the quality of the responses on this extremely important issue has been very high. GPs will continue, as they have always done, to provide excellent care to patients in the final days and hours of their lives.”