Isle of Man takes first step on the road to an assisted dying law

The Isle of Man took a step closer to introducing an assisted dying law today, as Dr Alex Allinson’s Assisted Dying Bill passed its first reading. The progress being made there, in Scotland and in Jersey shines a spotlight on Westminster, where the Health and Social Care Committee continues its inquiry into assisted dying.

Dr Allinson’s Bill proposes a six-month maximum life expectancy criterion for anyone seeking an assisted death, similar in that respect to laws already operating in many US states – the most well-known being Oregon – and some of those in Australia.

At a meeting with members of Tynwald this morning before the first reading, Trevor Moore, Chair of My Death, My Decision explained to the politicians some of the differing models that apply in jurisdictions around the world. In particular, he mentioned the arbitrariness and discriminatory nature of a six-month criterion, as well as the exclusion of those suffering unbearably from incurable conditions. They will have the summer recess to deliberate before the second reading in October.

One of the questions raised was the ability of medical professionals to assess whether someone is being coerced into seeking an assisted death. Trevor explained that medical professionals have to assess this in many other contexts, including when someone opts to remove life-sustaining support. The safeguards proposed by Dr Allinson’s Bill are far greater than applied in everyday practice, with the proposed two independent assessors having the ability to refer to a third professional (most likely a psychiatrist), in appropriate cases.

Assuming that the Bill passes through the first chamber, the House of Keys, it will then need to be passed by the second chamber the Legislative Council. The timing is not precise, but it is possible that a law will be passed by this time next year.

Trevor Moore, Chair of My Death, My Decision, said:

“We must hope that our politicians at Westminster – and in particular the Health and Social Care Committee – take note of other jurisdictions like Isle of Man, Scotland and Jersey, where substantive steps are being taken towards having a compassionate assisted dying law. It lies in their hands to enable suffering people to choose when and where they die.”

 

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DIGNITAS: “It’s about time” the UK changes law on assisted dying

The Swiss assisted dying organisation DIGNITAS has told parliamentarians that the UK should legalise assisted dying. Silvan Luley, a member of the organisation today gave evidence to the Health and Social Care Committee’s inquiry into assisted dying, along with other experts from Switzerland. 

Luley told the inquiry: “If you legalise assisted dying, it will improve conversations with patients, make it transparent, public, clear and make it possible to do research. Doctors will feel safe, people will feel safe.”

When questioned if assisted dying is at odds with palliative care, Luley replied that most Brits that visit DIGNITAS are grateful for the UK’s excellent provision of palliative care, but they say “I want to have my choice”. He added: “That’s the crucial point. It’s about choice.”

Switzerland has allowed assisted dying since 1942, as long as the motives are not selfish. It is one of the few countries in the world that does not have a residence clause, meaning citizens of other countries are allowed to have an assisted death. The number of British people who are members of DIGNITAS has soared by more than 80% in the past decade.

Dr Georg Bosshard, a practising geriatrician in Switzerland, said that Swiss people would find the UK’s blanket ban on assisted dying ‘unthinkable’. He added: “We should have varieties of possibilities for having a good death – we should have a society that meets the needs of different people and the wishes of a wide variety of people.”

Samia Hurst-Majno, Professor of Biomedical Ethics, warned the committee of both under-regulation but also overregulation of assisted dying. She added that “It’s an illusion that banning assisted dying protects vulnerable people.”

My Death, My Decision would welcome an assisted dying law in the UK that grants mentally capable adults the option of an assisted death if they are enduring unbearable suffering from an incurable physical condition.

Claire Macdonald, Director of My Death, My Decision, said:

“We must stop exiling Brits who are dying and suffering from incurable diseases to Switzerland. We must stop exporting compassion and let people have a choice at the end of their lives. 

The evidence the committee heard today was overwhelming. In Switzerland, assisted dying has been working for over 80 years, the system is safe, workable and gives people back their human rights.”

Notes:

Members of the MDMD team, as well as individuals affected by the current law on assisted dying, are available for interview upon request

For further comment or information, media should contact Nathan Stilwell at nathan.stilwell@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk or phone 07456200033.

My Death, My Decision is a grassroots campaign group that wants the law in England and Wales to allow those who are terminally ill or intolerably suffering the option of a legal, safe, and compassionate assisted death. With the support of over 3,000 members, we advocate for an evidence-based law that would balance individual choice alongside robust safeguards and finally give the people of England and Wales choice at the end of their lives.

Read more about our work with the Assisted Dying Inquiry: https://www.mydeath-mydecision.org.uk/2023/05/15/assisted-dying-inquiry-health-and-social-care-committee-takes-next-steps/ 

Watch the evidence session here: https://committees.parliament.uk/event/18436/formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session/ 

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Dominoes are falling: Majority of surgeons support assisted dying.

A majority of Surgeons support assisted dying, according to figures from a survey of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. 61% of respondents to the survey said they personally support a change in the law. 29% said they were opposed and 10% undecided.

This has led the Royal College of Surgeons to end their opposition to assisted dying. 

52% said the Royal College of Surgeons should be supportive of a change in the law to permit assisted dying. 20% said the College should take a neutral position on the provision of assisted dying for mentally competent, terminally ill adults.

In relation to the role of doctors in any future assisted dying process, 59% felt doctors should be involved in confirming a patient meets the eligibility criteria; 42% thought doctors should prescribe the drugs and 23% thought that doctors should be present while patients self-administer the drugs.

Following the survey, the Council voted to adopt a neutral position on the issue. 

The British Medical Association ended its opposition and moved to a neutral position on assisted dying in 2021. This reflects the position of similar medical bodies including the Royal Colleges of Physicians, Medicine, Nursing and Psychiatrists.

Trevor Moore, Chair of My Death, My Decision, said:

“Medical professionals are increasingly coming to the conclusion that assisted dying should be legalised in the UK. The Health and Social Care Committee must surely give due weight to this in their conclusions following the current inquiry into assisted dying.

The public support change, doctors across the spectrum support change – now politicians need to step up and give people who are incurably suffering or terminally ill the right to take control over their own bodies and, ultimately, their own deaths.”

Notes:

Members of the MDMD team, as well as individuals affected by the current law on assisted dying, are available for interview upon request

Read the survey here: https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/about-the-rcs/government-relations-and-consultation/position-statements-and-reports/assisted-dying/ 

For further comment or information, media should contact Nathan Stilwell at nathan.stilwell@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk or phone 07456200033.

My Death, My Decision is a grassroots campaign group that wants the law in England and Wales to allow those who are terminally ill or intolerably suffering the option of a legal, safe, and compassionate assisted death. With the support of over 3,000 members, we advocate for an evidence-based law that would balance individual choice alongside robust safeguards and finally give the people of England and Wales choice at the end of their lives.

Read more about our work with the Assisted Dying Inquiry: https://www.mydeath-mydecision.org.uk/2023/05/15/assisted-dying-inquiry-health-and-social-care-committee-takes-next-steps/ 

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Compassion lead to assisted dying law, say international experts

Today, the Health and Social Care Committee heard testimony from experts from countries where access to assisted dying is permitted based on ‘unbearable suffering’. In the first panel, experts from Belgium and the Netherlands explained that compassion was the primary motive behind their early adoption of such a law.

Experts also explained that having a law introduces additional scrutiny to end-of-life care. Professor Bernheim explained that Belgium and the Netherlands are where end-of-life issues have been studied the most intensely. He highlighted that since the law was introduced there has been “much more control, much more scrutiny, much more awareness, much more compassion”.

So far, debates in the UK on assisted dying have mostly been limited to the terminally ill, but this session showed that a law that extends to people who are incurably, intolerably suffering is the most compassionate way forward. Professor Irene Tuffrey-Wijne explained that she doesn’t think the six-month prognosis is logical and it could be interpreted as unfair.

My Death, My Decision would welcome an assisted dying law in the UK that grants mentally capable adults the option of an assisted death if they are enduring unbearable suffering from an incurable physical condition.

The experts showed that across the world, where assisted dying has been introduced, palliative care has dramatically improved. Professor James Downar has said that since the introduction of an assisted dying law, Canada has seen the most historic increase in funding for palliative care. Since the introduction of an assisted dying law, Netherlands and Belgium now have the most developed palliative care in Europe and in Belgium, confidence in the medical system is high, even higher than it was before the law was introduced.

Professor Downar explained that in Canada the vast majority of people who received assisted dying, over 80% had received palliative care and 98% had access to palliative care.

Trevor Moore, Chair of My Death, My Decision, said:

“It is heartening to hear from those on the frontline of assisted dying in other countries that the key driver for the introduction of a law was compassion. That is what drives our campaign for a law in England and Wales, because above all we want to end unnecessary suffering.

Research from the Office of Health Economics shows that even the best palliative care cannot alleviate suffering in thousands of cases each year. We urge the Health and Social Care Committee to help remedy this by recommending a compassionate law for the UK – following the 28 jurisdictions that have already done so.”

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