Catholic Medical Quarterly Volume 75(1) February 2025
Editorial
Assisted Dying – Please write to and go to see your MPs!
Dr Adrian Treloar
The
Assisted Dying Bill passed its second reading and is now closer to
becoming law. But there remains much disquiet about the bill, its poor
safeguards and simply the notion that you could enact such a bill at a
time when the NHS is broken (Wes Streeting, Minister of State for Health).
Of course killing is wrong. Of course euthanasia corrupts the way we do
medicine and offers a “way out” for doctors struggling with complex
illnesses and complex healthcare decisions. And women especially tend to
ask to be killed as they don’t want to be a burden.
So it’s really important to persuade MPs to vote against at the 3rd reading of this bill. Please write to your MP and if you can, go and see them. Ask what concerns they have, listen and also then try to persuade them to vote against this bill.
Many innocent lives depend on what you do now. Please go and see your MPs.
Have you seen and read the Assisted Dying Bill?
It is worth reading the bill. The bill is spectacularly long and complex. You can read it at https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3774 There are so many dangers in it. One of which is the coordinating doctor is from the patients' own practice and will be replaced by another willing doctor if the coordinating doctor dies. There seems to be an assumption that there will always be a willing doctor. Which clearly cannot be true.[2] The Bill states that there will be “No obligation to provide assistance etc“ Section 23 states that “No registered medical practitioner or other health professional is under any duty (whether arising from any contract, statute or otherwise) to participate in the provision of assistance in accordance with this Act.” AND that “An employer must not subject an employee to any detriment for exercising their right under subsection (1) not to participate in the provision of assistance in accordance with this Act or for participating in the provision of assistance to a person in accordance with this Act”
But also states in section 5 that
“A registered medical practitioner who is unwilling or unable to conduct the preliminary discussion mentioned under subsection [3]must, if requested by the person to do so, refer them to another registered medical practitioner whom the first practitioner believes is willing and able to conduct that discussion.” So in fact, in its present from, the bill requires that treating doctors refer patients for assessment for killing. That is a requirement for formal cooeperation with evil.
Section 5 is not compatible with section 23, but will doubtless trump section 23. The bill does not therefore allow for conscientious objection to cooperation with killing. This is a very dangerous bill.
Please therefore write to and go and see your MP