Assisted dying: a palliative care physician's view

Abstract

Lord Joffe's revised Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill was defeated in the House of Lords in May 2006, but it may return to Parliament in Autumn 2006. Assisted dying is being promoted as a logical extension to patient autonomy for those who are terminally ill and suffering intolerably, and proponents claim to have overwhelming public support. Those who have most experience of caring for the terminally ill, however, come out most strongly against any change in the current law. This paper suggests that estimates of public opinion are unreliable; that assisted dying is unnecessary if we are prepared to prioritise good end-of-life care; and that a change in the law would do little to protect patients but would put other vulnerable members of society at risk.