This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Debate set for Assisted Dying Bill
Under the proposed Assisted Dying Bill, patients with an obvious desire to end their lives would be prescribed a lethal dose of drugs by two doctors, but only the patient would be allowed to take them.
If the new laws were to be passed, two doctors and a High Court judge would have to agree to assisted dying for any patient. That ensures that all involved would have to be satisfied that the patient was mentally competent, had less than six months to live and had been informed of all the alternatives.
The Bill would not allow euthanasia, as it only permits the patient to administer the medication to end their own life - not the doctor.
Labour MP Rob Marris, who is bringing the Bill forward, said: “With appropriate, strong safeguards, terminally ill adults of sound mind should be legally allowed to choose to have assistance to end their own lives.”
"The current legal position is a mess. At present the law denies dying people the choice of a safe, legal assisted death, whilst turning a blind eye to home suicides, and to technically illegal actions by doctors, and to Dignitas deaths. I am convinced that we can and should allow better choice for dying people."
Alistair Thompson, from Care Not Killing, say the legislation is ‘dangerous’ and urged MPs to reject it. This echoed calls from Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby who claimed the Bill was ‘actively supporting; suicide.
Thompson said: "Changing the law on assisted suicide, by discriminating against the terminally ill and disabled from the healthy and able-bodied sends out a chilling message about how we value and treat the most vulnerable people in society."
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