New stance on assisted dying

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has dropped its opposition to assisted dying and adopted a neutral stance on the issue.

A poll of almost 7,000 UK doctors found 43.4 per cent felt the RCP should oppose any change in law, while 31.6 per cent were in favour of supporting assisted dying.

The RCP said a failure to get a 60 per cent majority either way meant it would now adopt a neutral stance on the issue.

Four medics have said they will seek a judicial review over the poll, but the RCP said this was rejected by the High Court yesterday. The last time the RCP surveyed its members on the issue was in 2014.

At that time, 24.6 per cent wanted the RCP to support a change in the law, rising to 31.6 per cent in the latest poll. RCP president Professor Andrew Goddard said: “It is clear that there is a range of views on assisted dying in medicine, just as there is in society.”