The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Assisted suicide Bill criticised
Acoalition of nearly 200 medical professionals in Scotland have criticised the proposed assisted suicide Bill.
So far, 175 Scottish healthcare professionals from a variety of specialities have signed a letter to Health Secretary Humza Yousaf telling him of their concerns about the proposed legislation.
High-profile individuals have joined the campaign launched by Our Duty of Care (ODOC) after the new Bill was launched by Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur last month.
Signatories to the letter include David Galloway, a recently retired consultant surgeon and previous president of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow; also Professor Marie Fallon – a palliative medicine professor from Edinburgh.
It states: “We write with great concern regarding the introduction of a Bill to legalise assisted suicide in Scotland.
“The shift from preserving life to taking life is enormous and should not be minimised. The prohibition of killing is present in almost all civilised societies due to the immeasurable worth of every human life.
“Some patients may never consider assisted suicide unless it was suggested to them. The cruel irony of this path is that legislation introduced with the good intention of enhancing patient choice will diminish the choices of the most vulnerable.
“As healthcare professionals, we have a legal duty of care for the safety and wellbeing of our patients.
“We the undersigned will not take patients’ lives – even if they ask us to. But for the sake of us all, we ask that the law remains unchanged.”
Mr McArthur put forward the proposals last month for a Members’ Bill at Holyrood which, if passed, would permit assisted dying for adults who are both terminally ill and mentally competent.
Almost nine out 10 Scots (87%) are said to support the introduction of such legislation, Mr McArthur said, though a previous bid to change the law at Holyrood was voted down by 82 votes to 36 in 2015.
A cross party group of a dozen MSPs have already signalled their support for Mr McArthur’s bid to “introduce safe and compassionate assisted dying laws in Scotland”.
Dr Gillian Wright, a former palliative medicine registrar now working in medical ethics, helped organise the medics who have signed the letter.
She said: “Currently the law prohibits the intentional taking of life by an individual or by the state. Why is that? Because of the incredibly high value and worth that society places on all human life, without exception.
“We are encouraged that ordinary doctors and nurses from across Scotland have joined together to send a definite message to the health secretary.
“We do understand that there is suffering at the end of life but this should drive us as a society, not to provide assisted suicide, but instead well-funded, accessible, high quality palliative care for all.”