LEICESTER, UK – The legalization of assisted suicide in England and Wales “is yet another erosion of the soul and conscience of medicine”, a leading pro-life doctor has said.
Last week, Labor MP Kim Leadbeater's End of Life Adults (End of Life) Bill was approved by the UK Parliament with a vote of 330 to 275.
Passing the bill is just the first step in the House, and it will likely take several months for the bill to pass.
Dr. Callum Miller, a medical doctor and researcher at the University of Oxford specializing in bioethics, said that legalizing assisted suicide would “legalize assisted suicide because the bill includes a right to assisted suicide. This will of course have a serious impact on doctors who decide not to participate at all.” See below for information on suicide. ”
“This could lead to a mass exodus of medical professionals from the medical field, disrupting a health system that is already stretched to its limits,” he told Clax.
Euthanasia and assisted suicide are currently illegal under English, Welsh and Northern Ireland law and are considered manslaughter or murder. There are no specific laws in Scotland, but you can be charged with murder if you are involved in a murder.
Leadbeater's bill would give terminally ill patients over the age of 18 the right to request medically assisted suicide.
The British and Irish Association for Palliative Medicine (APM) has issued a statement saying the majority of its members oppose 'assisted dying' and that the group opposes the way the Leadbeater Bill is proposed.
APM cited concerns regarding the protection of vulnerable, frail, elderly, disabled and terminally ill people. The lack of adequately funded and equally accessible specialist palliative care services in all parts of the UK. and concerns about the impact on trust and the doctor-patient relationship.
Miller said the doctors at Klax Palliative Care “best know that when access to appropriate palliative care is available, intractable physical symptoms are extremely rare.” spoke.
“They also know how common it is for patients nearing the end of their life to feel pressured to die, either openly or covertly, from a variety of factors, including their families, and to commit suicide. “We recognize that if we legalize it, many patients will be driven to such suicides,” he said.
The full interview with Mr. Miller is below.
The crux: Why has assisted suicide suddenly become an issue in the UK?
Mr Miller: Assisted suicide has long been debated in the UK, with serious attempts to legalize it every few years. These are now primarily legislative efforts, following the Supreme Court's 2014 decision against the right to die.
The reason the bill has come up again this time is partly just luck. Kim Leadbeater led the vote on the private member's bill and decided to introduce a bill on this topic. However, the bill also had the support of the prime minister, who was determined to approve it. It's time for Congress to debate and vote on it.
If signed into law, how will assisted suicide affect health care workers, especially doctors?
Some say this amounts to crossing the Rubicon for medical care, but from Hippocrates' perspective, this is what happened when abortion was legalized in the 20th century. This is an even greater erosion of the soul and conscience of medicine, and will of course have serious repercussions for doctors who decide not to participate at all, as the bill includes the right to defer discussion of suicide. Dew. This could lead to a mass exodus of medical professionals from the medical field, devastating a health system already stretched to its limits.
Some of the strongest opposition to assisted suicide comes from the palliative care field. Why is this so?
Palliative care physicians are less susceptible to misinformation than most other people and recognize that intractable physical symptoms are extremely rare when access to appropriate palliative care is available. Know best. They also know how common it is for patients nearing the end of their lives to feel pressure to die, either openly or covertly, from a variety of factors, including family members, and they are encouraged to commit suicide. We also recognize that many patients will succumb to such pressure if legalized. .
How does assisted suicide relate to other 'life issues' in the UK, such as abortion and gender identity?
There is no significant overlap between cross-cultural warfare issues in Britain. Of course, there are some socially conservative and Christian groups that are actively working on all issues, but when it comes to euthanasia and transgenderism, there are very strong secular movements opposing these. For this reason, it is generally not very noticeable.
When it comes to euthanasia, there is very strong opposition from disability rights groups, doctors and socialists, and when it comes to transgender people, there is very strong opposition from feminists. This is a refreshing difference from many countries where all this is offered as a package deal and there is no room for free thought or real debate.
Can Britain still say no to the Leadbeater Bill?
Yes, there is still a chance that the bill will be defeated.
The second reading passed by a margin of 330 votes to 275, a large margin but not insurmountable. Of these, 28 votes required amendments or some abstainers to vote against it, and 36 votes already indicated they had voted to pass the bill just to allow for further debate.
It's a tough battle, but we still have a chance.
Follow Charles Collins on X: @CharlesinRome
