Patricia Hewitt, the former Health Secretary, weighed into the assisted suicide debate today. Ms Hewitt, who was a frequent visitor to Cumberland Lodge until she resigned from the Cabinet, has tabled an amendment to the Coroners and Justice Bill. The BBC reports that her amendment to allow people to take terminally ill patients abroad for assisted suicide is likely to fail, but if so she plans to introduce a private members' bill.
It seems to me that public opinion is changing quietly but substantially towards accepting the right of individuals with terminal or degenerative illnesses to choose their time to depart. Recent cases have taken a liberal view of the actions of family or friends involved in helping the sick patient, and the sense of outrage is diminshing with each new case. Humanity and common sense win in the end.
If it ever happens to me, I hope that I have the courage, and the support of my family, to make the choice. By then, maybe, it will not be necessary to go to Switzerland.
Friday 20 March 2009
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I agree with The Bursar's final paragraph, but just as people can opt to leave their body to medical science and carry a donor card, might it also become necessary to carry a Dignitas card in case of sudden physical injury or mental incapacity. What if you cannot tell your family your wishes?
ReplyDeleteVham may have a point, but it is a big leap from family-assisted suicide to "state"-assisted suicide. There will be huge legal complexities to deal with and we are moving the discussion nearer to euthanasia. It is hard enough to make "DNR" instructions stick, I understand.
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