Assisted dying bill

As I do not live in the UK I neither can nor will comment on the proposed bill there, as it obviously is not my business.

However, there are some ethical points that have to be considered, and which I do not think are necessarily understood by all who favour an assisted dying policy.

One is the salient point that someone may be too ill to do what is necessary physically to end their life. Or may no longer be capable of clearly expressing the wish to die.

Are these people to be left to suffer, if no-one is legally allowed to administer the drug that would end the patient's life?

Another point is that someone may well have written down and discussed with their family and doctors that they do not wish to be left to die a lingering death. On the face of it, if such a document exists the way is clear. But is it? The dying have been known to cling to life and to be unwilling or afraid, or unable to let go. What do we do if we as the family or attending physician deem this to be the case? Ignore it? And live the rest of our own life knowing we perhaps killed someone who was not ready to die?

No-one knows and can tell you how soon a fatal condition or illness will kill you. An experienced doctor treating the particular disease will perhaps be willing to make an estimate, but it is not possible to state that anyone is likely to die within X numbers of weeks or months.

What about the patient with a terminal illness and a deep depression? Is the depression to be allowed to determine that the person dies now, or alternatively used to refuse the patient's request on the grounds that he or she is not mentally competent to make the decision?

How do we, the general public, law-makers or medical or spiritual advisors make absolutely sure that the patient him-or herself really wishes to die now, and has not been pressured into the decision by relatives or carers who have carefully insinuated that "you are a burden to yourself and to us?"

Some unfortunate people have been hurried out of this world by family wishing to inherit. How can we be sure that an assisted-dying law cannot be misused to facilitate this?

There is no fear / concerns for anyone being persuaded to die ?

Of course there us, that's why groups representing those with disabilities opposed it, the feminists who work with women in abusive relationships, but those groups don't have much power in society.

the majority of people have said they want this bill, a fair majority have watched people they love suffer. Other countries have successfully implemented this so why do we keep stuttering over it.

I hope this bill goes through before I feel the need to die before the pain & indignity of terminal illness does kill me! This has been thought through so that only the terminally ill can be helped. There have to be at least two doctors in agreement. I could give you many more points that have been covered but we would be here all day reading, agreeing & disagreeing. My friend is catholic & is against the bill simply because she has been told at church that she must be! This is a very personal thing for those of us that have watched someone in so much pain beg to be allowed to die because the meds are not strong enough to stop the unbearable pain! Think & research before you make a decision please?

Suicide is hot and miss. Often violent too. To say that people can kill themselves if they no longer want to live is not the way to go about it. Have a heart.

My late DFiL was terminally ill and when the doctors told us they estimated he had 6-9 months to live, he died 4 weeks later. He was cared for at home by my DMiL, my DH and a wonderful group of McMillan nurses. His pain relief was well managed until the day he died, my DH had to try and get a prescription for morphine filled, which took several hours and then only by the kindness of our local hospice did he get the medication he needed. Watching his beloved Dad suffer traumatised my DH so much so he lost the capacity to speak for a week and we had to get help from a psychiatrist afterwards. So I’m hopeful this bill would help stop others from suffering as much as my DFiL.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion. I am in favour of this having watched 2 parents suffer long miserable deaths. I don’t want that for me or Antone i love.

Religious bigots must not be allowed to defeat the Assisted Dying Bill. I wish to exercise my choice when the time comes.

Anyone who doesn’t agree with assisted dying is a religious bigot ?

Luckily being called a bigot is meaningless these days.

I fail to understand why some people have the nerve to play with people's needs.Until you've walked in their shoes ,someone in pain, terminally I'll or disabled needs help.The will to live is strong but maybe there comes a time when it's just not enough and to have a choice to be released in peace must be a great comfort.

I think the bill should go through, it doesn't go far enough though. What right has anybody got to stop somebody dying if they want to. if they are suffering and want to end their life then they should decide their own fate as long as they are in full command of their mental faculties. For somebody else to dictate what a person may or not do with their own body is obscene in my opinion.

It wouldn’t be so bad if hospices weren’t under such terrible financial pressure. I’ve never understood why they are charities when they are so necessary.

Ladyleftfieldlover

In what way is this bill being rushed through?

www.lawgazette.co.uk/commentary-and-opinion/assisted-dying-bill-there-is-much-in-the-debate-that-frustrates/5121549.article

missdeke

I think the bill should go through, it doesn't go far enough though. What right has anybody got to stop somebody dying if they want to. if they are suffering and want to end their life then they should decide their own fate as long as they are in full command of their mental faculties. For somebody else to dictate what a person may or not do with their own body is obscene in my opinion.

The worries are that there is not enough included to stop dictation of death by interested parties unduly influencing vulnerable people.

Camille333

I fail to understand why some people have the nerve to play with people's needs.Until you've walked in their shoes ,someone in pain, terminally I'll or disabled needs help.The will to live is strong but maybe there comes a time when it's just not enough and to have a choice to be released in peace must be a great comfort.

There is definitely a time when either a need for peace or a need to not face aspects of a disease override the will to live. People make the choice to refuse treatment; to stop eating etc precisely because of that. I do believe that they should be able to make a choice for themselves re when they die ....and the choice must be able to be made between choosing fo die or choosing to take good palliative care. That is why palliative care as a right is so important in this debate .

MayBee70

It wouldn’t be so bad if hospices weren’t under such terrible financial pressure. I’ve never understood why they are charities when they are so necessary.

Exactly. We are all going to die. Accessing appropriate care as we go through the process of coming to the end of our lives is a human right that should be provided through a national strategy for palliative care, which hospices would be part of. Palliative care is not just about hospices or medical institutions. It can be in the home as well or care homes etc

Education is needed across the entire sector dealing with people who are dying alongside support for people who wish to choose their own time to die.

I absolutely support this bill so tired of people who haven’t seen a loved one suffer obviously. You do you - leave other people to have a choice.

Correct - we have waited too long if anything

This is a personal choice and I don't feel one person can say that another can't choose a quick death over a long suffering one. If you don't agree with it you don't have to use this law but don't force other people to suffer!

This is a personal choice except it won't be for everybody. You have to be mentally competent and physically able to administer the death drug to yourself. As it stands doctors have to agree on both these counts, so the bill will not help everyone who'd want to die to do so. I notice not one person has expressed any view on children under 18 not being released from an agonising death. Doesn't that concern anyone? It certainly is a reason to campaign for better palliative care and research into better pain management.
I watched my mother suffer, but she wouldn't have qualified under this bill, the cancer had reached her brain and she was delusional.

I know this sounds a bit morbid but one of the reasons why I haven’t signed up for Pure Cremation is because I thought to myself, what happens if I have to go to Dignitas ?

Seakay

missdeke

I think the bill should go through, it doesn't go far enough though. What right has anybody got to stop somebody dying if they want to. if they are suffering and want to end their life then they should decide their own fate as long as they are in full command of their mental faculties. For somebody else to dictate what a person may or not do with their own body is obscene in my opinion.

The worries are that there is not enough included to stop dictation of death by interested parties unduly influencing vulnerable people.

Surely if someone is fully compos mentis then they are not a vulnerable person?

Our much loved pets get more humane end-of-life treatment than many people do.

I'm so sorry for the distress of relatives who have experienced the awful helplessness of watching their loved one dying in pain and fear.

I hope the Bill is passed.