It is ‘entirely reasonable’ for doctors to take part in the public debate around assisted dying, the UK’s most senior medical leaders have advised.
Following the introduction of a new bill on assisted dying in Parliament on Wednesday, Professor Sir Chris Whitty and the other UK chief medical officers sent out advice to doctors, acknowledging that many ‘have strong, informed opinions’ on the topic.
They said the public ‘would expect’ doctors to share opinions on assisted dying, either alone or in combination with others.
However, the CMOs told doctors to avoid identifying patients without consent, ‘directly engaging patients’ in the debate, and ‘implying’ that they speak for the entire medical profession rather than ‘expressing their personal views’.
‘This has to be a decision for society as a whole, expressed through Parliament,’ the advice said.
The bill, introduced by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales to ‘request and be provided with assistance to end their own life’.
MPs will begin debate on the bill on 29 November as part of its ‘second reading’ in the House of Commons, after which there will be a vote to decide whether it should proceed through Parliament.
A similar bill is also currently proceeding through the Scottish parliamentary process.
In response, the UK’s CMOs said yesterday: ‘We are aware many doctors have strong, informed opinions on this important topic but there is a wide spectrum of considered views on it within the profession as in society.
‘Some doctors may be unsure whether they can take part publicly in this debate. In our view it is entirely reasonable for any doctor to give their opinions, alone or in combination with others, and that the public would expect that.’
The UK’s medical leaders also said that whatever Parliament decides, doctors will be ‘unanimous’ on the following two points:
- that we must not undermine the provision of good end-of-life care for all including the outstanding work done by palliative care clinicians;
- that individual doctors and other healthcare workers should be able to exercise freedom of conscience as, for example, happens with abortion care currently.
In addition to England CMO professor Whitty, the advice was co-signed by Northern Ireland CMO for Professor Sir Michael McBride, Scotland CMO Professor Sir Gregor Smith, Wales CMO Professor Sir Frank Atherton, and NHS England medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis.
Earlier this year, MPs were told during a debate on assisted dying that no medical professional should be ‘forced’ to assist patients to end their lives.
The problem arises when a ‘freedom’ for the patient (or relative of a non-competent patient) becomes a ‘coercion’ which takes away the freedom of the doctor to not be involved – as is the actual real situation with abortion care, which is not as uncoercive to doctors as the above CMO statement suggests !
One group debating their right to instruct another to end their life, free to object you say, no problem. Most will abstain but you are sure to find a “special few” who will relish the thought. They’ll make the task their own, cordon it off, claim “unique understanding”. Some Drs get confused with a god complex from the power to spare and create life. Here we are whispering to extending that power to Death. My gut says caution. There is little more seductive than the power of Death to an imperfect mind. I’d be happy to give my four year old a crayon to create a picture but I wont give her a knife so she can shred the crap ones to put in the bin. I’m her god. Who is ours? These days, it seems, we think thats us.