UK Assisted Dying Bill: A doctor's perspective

(Vatican Radio) An Assisted Dying Bill is having its second reading Friday in the UK Parliament. British Peers are debating the Bill in the House of Lords, which if passed would allow doctors to prescribe life ending medication to terminally ill patients who are judged to have less than six months to live.

Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s interview with Dr Carl Fernandes.

On Wednesday, 24 faith leaders including the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols issued a statement saying that the bill would have a serious detrimental effect on the wellbeing of individuals and on the nature and shape of society.

Carl Fernandes is a family doctor who works within the UK’s National Health Service. He says the majority of general practitioners in the country are against this legislation.

“…a recent survey of the Royal College of General Practice showed that almost eighty per cent of General Practitioners in this country are formally against a change in the law to allow assisted suicide and the British Medical Association have remained formerly against a change in the law…”

If the bill was to become law two independent doctors would be required to decide that the patient had made an informed decision to die.

Dr Fernandes points out however, that he’s seen people who had been given 6 months to live after being diagnosed with chronic and so called terminally ill conditions and are still enjoying life.

He also says that perhaps more emphasis should be placed on the world class palliative care available in the UK. “I’ve never seen someone who has actually wanted to take their own life early but I have seen people who have wanted help with their symptoms…”