Assisted dying

I think everyone, who is of sound mind, should have the absolute right to terminate their life, with help if necessary, if they are terminally ill, or have an incurable disease, which makes their life a misery.

If this became legal here in the UK, people who assist others to die would obviously need training so they could do the job efficiently, causing as little pain and distress as possible to their client. If I was younger I would sign up to be an assisted dying enabler.

What do other posters think about this topic?

Re: Assisted dying

Where I can see the need for it in some cases, purely for personal relief and NOT for relatives to speak on behalf of those people ,I believe it could be embarking on a slippery slope.
It would of course save the NHS a lot of money, just like the Liverpool Pathway did.
Always odd how the blame of people getting older and costing the health service more, wasn't mentioned during the years of the Liverpool Pathway !
Now it's all our fault again.
If it can save the NHS money, then I'm quite convinced it will be made law, because everything comes down to money in the end. It won't be just because somebody's quality of life is suffering.

Re: Assisted dying

The young should take priority over the old, imo, as the NHS is strapped for cash.

Re: Assisted dying

I really think if people are able to opt in or out while they are able to make that decision then it should be legal to help a person.

I do realise not all doctors will be willing to do it so it may be we would need to allow them to opt in and out too so we aren't forcing them to help against their own conciences.

Re: Assisted dying

I'm not as sure on that when you look at someone like John venables I'd be very upset if he took priority over any old person. You can't have purely ageist ideals for treatments in the NHS.

Re: Assisted dying

Do You own a gun?..if so You can blow Your old Mans brains out and then Your own...sorted

Re: Assisted dying

Doctors shouldn't be involved in assisted dying, imo, people should be especially trained to fulfil that role.

Re: Assisted dying

I started a thread about this subject last year. It was brought about by a veterinary article but I thought he offered a very valid comment about humans at end of life too.
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He said if he, as a vet, were to allow a patient to suffer, and/or to be in pain, and refused to carry out euthanasia if the suffering was overwhelming and the pain immeasurable, he would quite rightly be struck off the veterinary register.


But he then says yet if humans suffer pain that could not be controlled, or were diagnosed with a terminal condition that would undoubtedly lead to such suffering - like motor neurone disease - we are not allowed to make official arrangements to end our own life and nobody would be allowed to help us do so if we decided to end it.
Any doctor who did help would be struck off the medical register for carrying out a humane action, that if he, as a vet, would be struck off for not carrying out.
He thinks the situation is ludicrous and although I know it is highly sensitive and debatable, I am inclined to agree with his point of view here.

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He is right. Vets would be in trouble for letting an animal suffer, yet Doctors would be in trouble for NOT prolonging suffering.
My answer is Yes, we should be able to judge for ourselves when we've had enough, but I don't think I could 'help' someone else do it.

Re: Assisted dying

I have a pillow for that purpose, less messy!

Re: Assisted dying

Is it to do with the vows ? They take very different vows one to do no harm and prolong life and the other to do no harm at all ?