Strict criteria

In response to Marlene McDowall (Letters, Jan 23), firstly, thank you for the care you so obviously give to our elderly when they need care. I have met others like you, and wish there were more.

However, it is also obvious to me that you have not read the End of Life Choice Bill.

There are very strict criteria; the first and most important is that the person must have a terminal illness with an expected life span of six months or less, or a neurological illness (like MSD or ASL) with an expected life span of 12 months or less; and be suffering unbearable pain.

How many of those you are concerned about would fall into either of these categories? And would you really deny those who do qualify this option?

And with regard to palliative care, even those working in this area will acknowledge that up to 8 per cent of people are resistant to any kind of pain relief and do die in unbearable pain, even when terminally sedated – which is just a longer way to die than that proposed in this bill.

Esther Richards, Tauranga