UK Public Supports Assisted Suicide For Terminall Ill

UK public supports assisted suicide for terminally ill, Jul. 25, 2009.

Assisted suicide should be made legal for those with terminal illness, but not for people with a disability, a poll for The Times has found.

Only 48 per cent of those who back a change in the law believe that people with “a severe physical disability, even if otherwise healthy” should be allowed assistance to end their lives. This compares with 95 per cent who support the right for people with a terminal illness to be helped to die. Just over two thirds back assisted suicide for those with a degenerative, though not terminal illness, such as dementia, while 56 per cent support a change in the law for people who are suffering “extreme” pain.

The distinction drawn by the public over different conditions suggests a sophisticated understanding of the ethical issues involved, campaigners said.

The campaigners were frustrated that during the most recent debate on the issue in the House of Lords, on an amendment to the law strictly limited to those with terminal illnesses, it was dominated by opponents saying it would be “a slippery slope” towards introducing assisted suicide for all.

The contribution to the debate from Lady Campbell of Surbiton, a peer born with spinal muscular atrophy, was thought to have been particularly influential. She said suicide reform would lead to “state-sanctioned assisted dying” in which doctors would encourage people with disabilities to end their lives. The amendment was voted down. Debbie Purdy, who has MS and is seeking clarification on the law regarding those who help loved ones to travel to the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland, said that the poll should reassure those who fear any legal change would lead to a “free-for-all”.

“Of course, I would support the 65 per cent of people in the poll who want to legalise assisted suicide for those with degenerative diseases. But I think the fact the public are differentiating between conditions should allay the fears of people like Lady Campbell who fear a slippery slope leading to a free-for-all,” Ms Purdy said.

Only a third of the public back legalised assisted suicide for a spouse or partner of someone with a terminal illness.

Support for assisted suicide for those with terminal illness was strong among older people with 90 per cent of those aged 65 and over backing the move, in line with other age groups.

Almost a quarter of those aged 65 and over backed assisted suicide for people suffering extreme pain.

Despite popular support for reform, it is unlikely that politicians will act unless it is backed by the medical establishment. Professor Clive Seale, Britain’s leading expert on the attitudes of doctors on the issue, does not expect any sudden change from their current opposition to any change. “The majority of doctors and other health workers generally don’t like the idea of hastening the deaths of patients, even if this seems humane,” he told The Times.

However, he said that yesterday’s change in stance of the Royal College of Nursing was significant.

“The RCN’s decision to become neutral on this issue may not sound like much, but it represents a pretty big step towards acceptance ... When health practitioners start changing their minds about assisted suicide, governments tend to take notice,” he said.

There is also a strongly held view that support for assisted suicide is strong because palliative care is poor in the UK. Hospices, which offer high-quality palliative care, rely on charitable donations and have been particularly badly hit by the credit crunch.

Dan Berry, head of policy at the MS Society, said that he feared people were driven to contemplate assisted suicide because they did not realise high-quality palliative care would greatly improve their quality of life.

“Our research has shown palliative care can help manage symptoms that can make life unbearable. It’s a terrible shame if people are contemplating suicide when there is care out there that could make a big difference,” he said.

By Rosemary Bennett and David Rose, The Times