Assisted dying bill

I’m too old and experienced to have blind faith in organisations or the law. Despite this, I have enough faith in this bill to be relieved it’s been passed.
The talk of there being no hope for improvements in palliative care as a result of this bill makes no sense to me, based on experiences with end of life care for loved ones. It was available and delivered.
My husband’s diagnosis of stage 4 metastasised cancer, spread all over his body, including his brain led to life expectancy of four to six months, ‘palliative care only’. He was given the gold standard treatment that stopped his tumours growing. Sadly, the treatment that shrank his brain tumours caused his death.
I posted earlier about the fantastic end of life care he and his wife and daughters received.
I’m not Pollyanna, but I’m so relieved this bill passed

I think you’re speculating a scenario that fits your viewpoint.

Other scenarios are equally valid.

Increased government funding for hospices as places where assisted dying can be provided.
Greater availability of places in charitable hospices for those who wish to accept palliative care to prolong life and Increased availability of support at home when charitable resources can be directed to them.

I think this is as likely as your scenario.

In reply to Rosie 51

When my husband was terminal we talked and decided if the pain got to much I would overdose him . The children knew our decision. Our McMillan nurse told us in her own way what would be a fatal dose. My husband became unconscious before I could help him . But he was put on a morphine infuser which gave him a shot every 30 mins . He couldn't breath on full oxygen. I told him to stop struggling and he died few minutes later he was 47.
We always believed in quality over quantity of life..

I know I want to end my own life if I get terminally ill and if I get dementia or Alzheimer's. I do not want my daughter to go through what I did. It's ok being pro life but at what cost.
I watched my husband dieing for 3 years slowly and his last 4 months he went through hell.

I looked after my mom and she died 4 months before her body did. If when she was of sound mind and ask me to end her life I would of. My mom would of hated what she became.

We all control our lives and those who wish to end their suffering then it's up to them. We have free will. Quality of life is more important than quantity. As without quality whats the point of quantity.

Whiff - I agree with you

Yes, so do I. Having seen what my FiL went through these past few weeks has only strengthened my feelings. It was traumatic for the whole family to see him like that and hear him begging us to help him end it all.

Iam64

Whiff - I agree with you

Me too…

How can anyone with dementia make the choice to live or die?

Anniebach

How can anyone with dementia make the choice to live or die?

In the case of both my mother and MiL, they had made their wishes abundantly clear when they still had the mental capacity.

Anniebach

How can anyone with dementia make the choice to live or die?

Theg mostly won't be able to make an informed decision....therefore they will not be covered by the new law

People with dementia, who have made their wishes not to be kept alive clear beforehand, would not be resucitated if their heart was to stop & probably not admitted to ITU.
Most wouldn't be eligible for assisted dying as they would need both to have mental capacity and have 6 months or less left to live at the point of making that decision.
That's my understanding - so making one's wishes clear beforehand is still a useful thing to do.

Quote valdavi Fri 20-Jun-25 21:37:25
People with dementia, who have made their wishes not to be kept alive clear beforehand, would not be resucitated if their heart was to stop & probably not admitted to ITU.
Most wouldn't be eligible for assisted dying as they would need both to have mental capacity and have 6 months or less left to live at the point of making that decision.
That's my understanding - so making one's wishes clear beforehand is still a useful thing to do.

Do not resuscitate is not ‘ too much suffering end my life please’

I am not totally against assisted suicide but I don't believe this particular bill is robust enough. For such a serious measure to be the subject of a Private Members Bill is astonishing, given they don't get the same debating time as that given to a government introduced bill. I truly see there is a place for relieving acute and inevitable suffering when a patient requests it but I do not see this bill in it's present format fulfilling that brief. Every supposed safeguard has either been eliminated or watered down, and that the private sector might well be involved is horrifying to me.
How many coerced suicides will be acceptable before stronger safeguards are implemented? It would be beyond naive to think there won't be any.

The Bill was tightened up extensively, nearly every safeguard tightened not watered down, between 1st and 2nd readings. The implementation period has also been doubled so it won't now be implemented before 2029.

2029 - that's one heck of a time to someone who is suffering...!!!

Yes, there's criticism that the Bill is too loose and too fast, it's anything but.
Unfortunately l think that most who want an assisted death either won't qualify or will die before qualifying. Whatever happened to compassion.

I m not over comfortable with this and I don’t know why
I m not a religious person I struggle with believing, struggle a lot because I think it’s so wonderful to have a blind faith I would love to have that
My parents and my Nan died by withdrawal of necessary drugs to keep them alive so I feel doctors have always helped
My Dad had incurable cancer last stages he was at home I moved in and he had a hospital bed and carers to help me he was on a morphine shunt which was upped to keep his pain controlled he died in his ‘sleep’ at age 92
My mum with late stage Alzheimer’s had a heart attack never having had any heart trouble the doctors said they could save her life but it could cause her pain and ‘for what’ she had no quality of life so with my permission they let her go just on pain relief she died in 24 hours she was 90 she never woke up
My Nan also had dementia and was unhappy, when she became ill my doctor said he wouldn’t prescribed anti biotics but pain relief she died peaceful in her sleep a few days later she was 87
These were all different doctors and different periods of time
Do we need more?
i m just so unsure

Good to see that many MPs are capable of independent thought, not simply voting as their masters tell them to.

Anniebach

How can anyone with dementia make the choice to live or die?

Perhaps you are not a medical expert? Me neither, but I have studied the issue with great care with reputable medical information. And from personal information.

Alzheimer's and dementia take many forms, and can happen quickly or in stages over a long period of time. If the person has made an advanced directive, and the disease progresses very slowl (Terry Pratchett comes to mind) with long periods of lucidity. May not remember what they ate for breakfast, or the date, but are clearly able to make a decision. So in some countries, they could request assistance to die. But not in the UK, and not even if this Bill goes to final stage and is implemented.

I have a UK friend who has a slow developing form of Alzheimer's. He has made his wishes known from the beginning, to his partner, family, doctors, and his solicitor. And he has got the go ahead from a Swiss clinic (not Dignitas) for assistance when he deteriorates further.

Bluebelle, moving post and I am sorry you had to witness all those sad events.

Your question is 'do we need more'. And for me, the answer is that 'we' don't- but everyone should have that individual choice., with all the safeguards in place.

I remember my mother telling me about her father who died in 1947.

The family doctor, who visited at home and knew his medical history very well, gave him an injection (morphine I assume) and said, ‘Don’t worry, he won’t suffer any more and won’t wake up again’.

And he didn’t.

That’s how I remember it Calandergirl just upping the medication as needed to keep the patient comfortable and to die kindly I would rather more money went in hospices which can be sone positive places
I am afraid for people with mental health problems

Upping the medication and letting him slip away was how King George V was allowed to die, as I recall.

So why were those doctors not murderers like Shipman.

No civilised country should deny people the right to choose when and how to die, especially those in dreadful pain. We cannot be dictated to by religious pressure groups.