I am a retired midwife and I thoroughly disagree with both Bills !! Abortion is now at the end of the slippery slope ,even if it took 60 years to get there ,and I'll bet the assisted suicide ( euphemistically titled medical assistance in dying ) will slide down that slippery slope much faster ,like so many other countries .
I hope that you will bear in mind that the majority of the UK people support assisted dying. IMHO opposing it is a luxury belief, doctors, doctors relatives, rich and well connected people and those who can afford private healthcare will not have to face agonising, long, undignified and painful ends, the wink is tipped, the morphine is turned up, a kind and peaceful end ensues. Remember the human mortality rate is 100%, most deaths are protracted, painful and undignified, and people who don't have access to this system need you and people like you to consider whether they too might want a choice that you already have. And yes I am a doctor myself so I know whereof I speak. Hoping for proper compassion, not the fake luxury kind, when you consider this bill, thanks
There was a very interesting article in a recent Spectator magazine regarding the effect this bill might have on palliative care in the UK. From what I understand, from the article, is that the legislation would require such organisations to offer "assisted suicide" and many of the medical staff in those organisations would not be prepared to administer such things. This may well lead to a shrinking of the palliative care network in the country making obtaining good end of life care for the person on the street more difficult.
BTW using the "I'm a Doctor therefore I can be trusted" trope doesn't work any longer.
It's more I'm a doctor therefore I have close contact with these issues, I hope my patients trust me, I hope no one else takes anyone on trust no matter who they claim to be. Medical ethics is 100% clear that no doctor or organisation would ever be required to offer any treatment which was against their conscience so this point is not correct
"Under Kim Leadbeater’s bill, which faces a decisive Commons vote this month, doctors can decline involvement. But hospices and care homes cannot opt out. That has major implications. ‘Hospices are generally quite small places,’ says a consultant at one London hospice. ‘It’s not something you can just have in a corner.’ A doctor at a Yorkshire hospice adds: ‘If you are the only consultant in the hospice for a week, you will be present and you have a duty of care.’"
It's hard from outside the profession and I appreciate that, doctors are not above emotive tactics sadly, but I can assure you that no doctor will be required to do anything which is against their conscience, they just need to refer to another practitioner where available, as is already the case with abortion. Check out the BMA on this https://www.bma.org.uk/media/4394/bma-arguments-for-and-against-pad-aug-2021.pdf Honestly, it's not even law yet and the details of how it would work are not in place, but any doctor knows this and should not pretend otherwise. Sorry on behalf of my profession
I am a retired midwife and I thoroughly disagree with both Bills !! Abortion is now at the end of the slippery slope ,even if it took 60 years to get there ,and I'll bet the assisted suicide ( euphemistically titled medical assistance in dying ) will slide down that slippery slope much faster ,like so many other countries .
I hope that you will bear in mind that the majority of the UK people support assisted dying. IMHO opposing it is a luxury belief, doctors, doctors relatives, rich and well connected people and those who can afford private healthcare will not have to face agonising, long, undignified and painful ends, the wink is tipped, the morphine is turned up, a kind and peaceful end ensues. Remember the human mortality rate is 100%, most deaths are protracted, painful and undignified, and people who don't have access to this system need you and people like you to consider whether they too might want a choice that you already have. And yes I am a doctor myself so I know whereof I speak. Hoping for proper compassion, not the fake luxury kind, when you consider this bill, thanks
There was a very interesting article in a recent Spectator magazine regarding the effect this bill might have on palliative care in the UK. From what I understand, from the article, is that the legislation would require such organisations to offer "assisted suicide" and many of the medical staff in those organisations would not be prepared to administer such things. This may well lead to a shrinking of the palliative care network in the country making obtaining good end of life care for the person on the street more difficult.
BTW using the "I'm a Doctor therefore I can be trusted" trope doesn't work any longer.
It's more I'm a doctor therefore I have close contact with these issues, I hope my patients trust me, I hope no one else takes anyone on trust no matter who they claim to be. Medical ethics is 100% clear that no doctor or organisation would ever be required to offer any treatment which was against their conscience so this point is not correct
Article link here: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/assisted-suicide-could-destroy-the-hospice-movement/
From the article:
"Under Kim Leadbeater’s bill, which faces a decisive Commons vote this month, doctors can decline involvement. But hospices and care homes cannot opt out. That has major implications. ‘Hospices are generally quite small places,’ says a consultant at one London hospice. ‘It’s not something you can just have in a corner.’ A doctor at a Yorkshire hospice adds: ‘If you are the only consultant in the hospice for a week, you will be present and you have a duty of care.’"
It's hard from outside the profession and I appreciate that, doctors are not above emotive tactics sadly, but I can assure you that no doctor will be required to do anything which is against their conscience, they just need to refer to another practitioner where available, as is already the case with abortion. Check out the BMA on this https://www.bma.org.uk/media/4394/bma-arguments-for-and-against-pad-aug-2021.pdf Honestly, it's not even law yet and the details of how it would work are not in place, but any doctor knows this and should not pretend otherwise. Sorry on behalf of my profession