1. Palliative Medicine doctors look after those who are terminally ill, providing symptom relief for pain and other difficult symptoms, psychological, social and emotional support. A recent survey found 95% would refuse to prescribe lethal medication to their patients even if it was legal. 40% would leave their jobs if it was legal in their hospice or hospital.
https://apmonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/APM-Survey-of-AD-Impact-on-PC-FINAL.pdf
2. Instead we need more care. Access to high quality palliative care is inadequate for most people.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8279030/pdf/12904_2021_Article_802.pdf
3. Assisted dying has problems too. Complications of assisted dying at 6.9% eg seizures/prolonged death.
https://bjgp.org/content/71/712/516/
4. Are the safeguards safe? Not in other countries.
Worries grow about medically assisted dying in Canada-safeguards eroded within 6 years.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)01733-0/fulltext
5. Effects on vulnerable groups. Why is Canada euthanizing the poor?
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/why-is-canada-euthanising-the-poor/
6. Euthanasia for Learning Disability and Autism – 39 Dutch cases
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10228250/pdf/S2056472423000698a.pdf
7. Does it happen without consent. Yes, in Belgium- the elderly, confused and in a coma.
https://jme.bmj.com/content/41/8/625
8. Could there be a pressure on older people? Wish to die is transient and associated with depression and loneliness.
https://academic.oup.com/ageing/article/50/4/1321/6133225
9. Capacity is difficult to determine- Psychiatrists’ concerns.
https://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h4461
10. As is external pressure. Oregon- 54% of people cited ‘feeling a burden’ as one of the reasons they chose assisted suicide.
Note also less than 1% were referred for psychiatric evaluation. Was there untreated depression?
