Assisted Dying

[SaintHacker]

Just watched an interesting interview on BBC news about the bill thats due to be read, with the Archbishop of Canterbury trying, and failing miserably, to put forward reasons why assisted dying shouldn't be allowed.
In my opinion if someone is agreed to be sound of mind by medical professionals there is no good reason to make them, and there loved ones, suffer for one minute more than they feel they should.

 

[BiMGuy]

Just watched an interesting interview on BBC news about the bill thats due to be read, with the Archbishop of Canterbury trying, and failing miserably, to put forward reasons why assisted dying shouldn't be allowed.
In my opinion if someone is agreed to be sound of mind by medical professionals there is no good reason to make them, and there loved ones, suffer for one minute more than they feel they should.

Couldn't agree more.

Edited to add. This is already done to some degree with the use of morphine drivers at the very end of end of life care.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

My sister is very religious, same group as the archbishop, and I've had the same discussion/argument with her. I agree with you, prolonging the life of people in constant pain is cruel.

Is the bill backed by the government or is it a private members bill?

 

[AliMc]

My wife and her sister are both hospital Pharmacists and stauch catholics, both will have to consider giving up their jobs if this is brought in, it's not just one pill that will be prescribed here but can be a whole cocktail of different drugs depending on the individuals circumstances, they will have real issues with this given their faith

 

[Swinglowandslow]

My wife and her sister are both hospital Pharmacists and stauch catholics, both will have to consider giving up their jobs if this is brought in, it's not just one pill that will be prescribed here but can be a whole cocktail of different drugs depending on the individuals circumstances, they will have real issues with this given their faith

Genuinely, why?
Do they question or know the motives of the Drs who make the prescriptions?
Surely they don't know nor enquire as to the circumstances of the person being prescribed , or why exactly the drugs are prescribed.?

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Should have been allowed a long time ago

If someone is suffering in the last days/weeks of an illness that there is no end and they are off sound mind or have signed a document when off sound mind then they should be allowed to end their own suffering

 

[Neilds]

I have always thought it strange that the best thing to do to a sick animal wa to "put it out of it's misery, it's the kindest thing to do" but this is totally opposite for humans. Tricky situation though.

 

[Wilson]

I have always thought it strange that the best thing to do to a sick animal wa to "put it out of it's misery, it's the kindest thing to do" but this is totally opposite for humans. Tricky situation though.

I watched my Father's body give up on him, and he had the same view, and used to say if he was a dog he would have been put out of his misery long before.

 

[Swinglowandslow]

Should have been allowed a long time ago

If someone is suffering in the last days/weeks of an illness that there is no end and they are off sound mind or have signed a document when off sound mind then they should be allowed to end their own suffering

Yes. Now, with technologies like video etc, they can ensure that the wishes of the patient are clear and genuine.
Nobody is advocating the patient alone in a room with relatives badgering "sign here, sign here, now" scenarios.
Witnessed videos, corroborated by a Dr verifying inevitable death can be written into the Act to eliminate fear of abuse of the compassionate action.

I do sometimes wonder just how much compassion some people have.

 

[clubchamp98]

I watched my Father's body give up on him, and he had the same view, and used to say if he was a dog he would have been put out of his misery long before.

My dad asked me to help do this.
It hurt having to say no ,as I could end up in jail.
For the point on pharmacy workers just abstain and have a dedicated body to set these prescriptions it’s not that difficult.
I can see the merits.
But there are far to many horrible people who just want to inherit their Money.
So the rules need to be very stringent.
But I do think you should have control over your own destiny.

 

[AliMc]

Genuinely, why?
Do they question or know the motives of the Drs who make the prescriptions?
Surely they don't know nor enquire as to the circumstances of the person being prescribed , or why exactly the drugs are prescribed.?

I really can't say why their Catholic faith leads them to have this stance, I'm not religious in any way so can't comment, but to answer your questions of course they know and question the motives and circumstances of the Dr's prescriptions, that's their job, they do ward rounds and check patients medical records, prescriptions have to be checked against the patients cardex's before they are issued, i read somewhere recently in a recent small local review of Dr issued prescriptions 70% + were found to be incorrect and about 40% were completed illegally, my wife comes home exasperated virtually every day with stories relating to the state of the prescriptions they have to deal with

 

[clubchamp98]

I really can't say why their Catholic faith leads them to have this stance, I'm not religious in any way so can't comment, but to answer your questions of course they know and question the motives and circumstances of the Dr's prescriptions, that's their job, they do ward rounds and check patients medical records, prescriptions have to be checked against the patients cardex's before they are issued, i read somewhere recently in a recent small local review of Dr issued prescriptions 70% + were found to be incorrect and about 40% were completed illegally, my wife comes home exasperated virtually every day with stories relating to the state of the prescriptions they have to deal with

My son is a pharmacist and think this would not be a problem.
These prescriptions would be scrutinised to the last degree and there must be pharmacists who have totally the opposite view to the ones you know.
It’s a tough debate ,but it needs to be sorted one way or another.
I do agree the poor state of prescriptions though as my lad tells me he is constantly following up on them as the doctors handwriting is so bad.
It’s going to be a problem for some medical professionals but maybe we need our own Dignitas staffed by people who see this as help not a religious or ethical thing.
Time will tell.

 

[Swinglowandslow]

I really can't say why their Catholic faith leads them to have this stance, I'm not religious in any way so can't comment, but to answer your questions of course they know and question the motives and circumstances of the Dr's prescriptions, that's their job, they do ward rounds and check patients medical records, prescriptions have to be checked against the patients cardex's before they are issued, i read somewhere recently in a recent small local review of Dr issued prescriptions 70% + were found to be incorrect and about 40% were completed illegally, my wife comes home exasperated virtually every day with stories relating to the state of the prescriptions they have to deal with

Ah, I didn't mean why their catholic faith? . I meant why they would be concerned re the motives of the Dr prescribing.
I misunderstood their role, my ignorance. I thought that the hospital pharmacist was the person who stood in their "chemists shop" within the hospital and from there they issued prescriptions sent to them by various hospital Drs. Not unlike the high street pharmacy.
Didn't realise they did ward rounds etc.

 

[AliMc]

Ah, I didn't mean why their catholic faith? . I meant why they would be concerned re the motives of the Dr prescribing.
I misunderstood their role, my ignorance. I thought that the hospital pharmacist was the person who stood in their "chemists shop" within the hospital and from there they issued prescriptions sent to them by various hospital Drs. Not unlike the high street pharmacy.
Didn't realise they did ward rounds etc.

No worries mate !

 

[Scoobiesnax]

Looking at the Catholic Faith, although previous posters have said they aren't questioning it - I would suggest assisting dying is seen as suicide; therefore anyone helping in this act is helping the person commit suicide. Within Catholicism suicide is a grave sin, seen as an attack on God creations and his divine right to oversee life & death.

Personally I think assisting dying is the right thing to do if some poor bugger is in a situation whereby they are not able to live a quality of life they were accustomed too - hope I never have to be in that situation personally.

 

[IanM]

Generally in favour. Lost my mum in June, and if it was up to her she'd have asked "to go" 12 months earlier.

Theory is fine, sorting out the practicalities is more problematic.

 

[SaintHacker]

I thin anyone questioning this needs to see the interview this morning. It was a man whose wife was terminally ill, suffering badly, who wanted and decided to end her own life. She ended up taking a cocktail of drugs of her own making, which, instead of giveing her the peaceful passing that she wanted, had the drugs been prescribed by a doctor, she suffered in his words 'a slow tortuous death'. The poor man was heartbroken by it understandably so. His direct question to the archbishop was 'who are you to say my wife cannot choose to pass away peacefully and end her suffering at a time and place of her choosing?'. The guy could not give him a straight answer.

 

[jim8flog]

For me on a personal level I am totally in favour.

Having watched what my wife went through in the last years of her life that would never be for me but I also know that assisted dying would never been what she wanted.

Sound mind is an all important factor but there should be a thorough check to ascertain whether or not the person is coming under pressure from others to do it.

 

[IanM]

I get the religious stuff about all powerful god, life and death etc, although the dear old ArchBish uses "God gave us free will" as a reason for stuff when it suits him!

 

[stefanovic]

I never lose sight of the fact that 'Life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short'. (Thomas Hobbes).

The reasons for this were not scientifically explained until Darwin, and later elaborated on by Richard Dawkins, George Price and others.
Whichever way you look at it we all came out of the darkness and one day we all go back into it.

What came before us we are completely ignorant and what comes after us we are also ignorant.
For a few decades, if we are lucky, the spotlight falls on us, our generation, and that should be reward enough.
Like a sparrow flying through an open door when a storm rages outside and for a brief period it is protected from the worst of the weather before flying out again. (Venerable Bede).

I think we should be able to make our own choice one day, and be assured that life will still go on without us