Sir – I wish to reiterate my conviction that safeguards in a Scottish assisted suicide law will fail. Not due to some baseless premonition, as Iain Stuart suggests (Letters, September 4), but rather due to logic – every human system inherently involves error, including healthcare. And because of evidence from Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, andContinue reading “Letter: Yes, safeguards will fail”
Category Archives: Assisted suicide
Letter: suicide is always a tragedy
Sir – I’m grateful to Moira Symons for taking the time to reply to my letter on assisted suicide (Show both sides of euthanasia debate, 17 August) and put forward her own views on this complex and emotive issue. I’ll begin my response on a point of agreement. I echo Ms Symons’ call for moreContinue reading “Letter: suicide is always a tragedy”
Letter: Euthanasia coverage lacking
Sir – Media coverage of assisted suicide – euphemistically called ‘assisted dying’ – frequently includes no counter comment from the many groups who oppose it and stand to be seriously impacted by it. It’s concerning that an issue as weighty as this should not receive balanced coverage. It is also common to see the mediaContinue reading “Letter: Euthanasia coverage lacking”
The faithful must herald a better path than assisted suicide
Letter responding to Rabbi Jonathan Romain’s article in The Sunday Times. It is sad to see Rabbi Jonathan Romain adding his voice to the UK’s assisted suicide campaign. In his article he cites personal experience, limitations in end-of-life care, celebrity and political endorsement, and public opinion as reasons why people with a terminal diagnosis shouldContinue reading “The faithful must herald a better path than assisted suicide”
Why oppose ‘assisted dying’?
Scottish politicians will soon consider new member’s legislation on ‘assisted dying’ for people with a terminal illness. Holyrood has rejected proposals of this kind twice before. Here are seven reasons why I believe it must do so again. 1) ‘Assisted dying’ would not be implemented in a vacuum Inequalities in healthcare and wider society wouldContinue reading “Why oppose ‘assisted dying’?”
It’s time to tell the truth about ‘assisted dying’
Dishonesty abounds about what ‘assisted dying’ involves, writes Jamie Gillies
End-of-life doctors won’t end lives
Data published this week deals a blow to campaigners vying for legal assisted suicide in Scotland. Survey results from the Association for Palliative Medicine (APM) suggest that most Scottish palliative doctors would refuse to participate in assisted deaths. Close to half of those surveyed also said they’d resign if their employer chose to offer assistedContinue reading “End-of-life doctors won’t end lives”
Against the assisted suicide Groundhog Day
Earlier today, it was announced that a parliamentary inquiry into assisted suicide will take place next year, with a particular focus on the experience of other countries that have introduced the practice. The Commons Health and Social Care Committee will hear evidence from doctors, campaigners, and the wider public before presenting a set of recommendationsContinue reading “Against the assisted suicide Groundhog Day”
Emmerdale’s twisted suicide plot
Viewers of the long-running ITV soap Emmerdale were subjected to uncharacteristically harrowing scenes last week. Thursday’s programme portrayed a character named Faith Dingle, who had been diagnosed with terminal breast cancer, taking her own life. In previous episodes, Faith had shared her fears about what dying from a terminal illness involves. The impetus for this plot couldn’tContinue reading “Emmerdale’s twisted suicide plot”
Scotland can do better than ‘assisted dying’
On Monday this week, the politician behind plans to legalise assisted suicide in Scotland confirmed that his member’s bill has achieved sufficient support to progress in the Scottish Parliament. The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill is now set to be considered by Holyrood’s Health Committee. It’s the third time Scottish politicians haveContinue reading “Scotland can do better than ‘assisted dying’”