UK members: have you heard about the assisted dying Bill?

[Andersl]

To those in the UK. Have you heard about the Assisted Dying Bill ?

It aims to reform the law on assisted dying so it is safe, fair and compassionate. If it gets passed it will apply to those who have been given 6 months or less to live as confirmed by medical professionals (2, I believe) and approved by a court.

I wanted to share this information in case anyone in the UK is unaware.

[Hidden]

Thank you Anders. I had heard and have my fingers crossed it gets passedClare

[Rubyjude]

Yes, thank you. I read that in the UK, professional and public attitudes towards assisted dying have shifted significantly in the last decade or so and that more people want to be given this option. So maybe a greater chance than ever of this bill being made into law.

[Saab900 in reply to Rubyjude]

I have been campaigning on behalf of this group for many years now. I still find it shocking that in this day and age we are not allowed to choose the time and manner of our death when extremely ill and near the end of life. As a nurse for over 3 decades, I have seen many people leave this life with no dignity, comfort or peace. It has undoubtedly been the worst part of my job and at times heartbreaking as so unnecessary. When death is well managed, it can be peaceful and comforting to see a loved one pass in a calm, dignified and pain free manner. This is what we should all wish for ourselves and our nearest and dearest. I think the taboo about death and fear of it is what drives some to avoid confronting the end of life and what it could/should be like. It is one of the givens in this life- we will all die and much as we try to celebrate and improve other rights of passage such as childbirth, it would be a huge benefit to society if we could actively engage in positive debate about how life ends instead of being driven by fear and stigma. Sorry for the long post, but I do feel strongly about this. As a nurse, I am likely to be able to manage my death in a manner that others not within the profession may not find so easy. I believe strongly that we all should have the right to choose a dignified ending to our lives, but am all too aware that many do not have this option.

[Rubyjude in reply to Saab900]

Don't apologise about the long post - your views are spot on as far as I am concerned! Hoping that we will be able to move forward in the UK on this issue in the near future.

[PJBinMI]

I worked at a large big city hospital as chaplain and was often called when a patient was thought to be dying. In general, I did not see medical staff trying to prolong life when a person was seriously ill and either in the process of dying or nearing that. There may be regional differences, but I don't worry that I will be denied a comfortable death here in the US in a state without right to die laws. When my mother was dying from lung cancer in1985, she was concerned that her Catholic doctor would want to keep her alive longer than she wanted to be, but that did not happen and being with her the last month of her life reassured me that cancer death can be comfortable. Actually, I'm rather curious about what it will be like from the vantage point of the one dying, though I am happy to keep waiting on that!