Euthanasia - a solution to suffering?

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Reply 80

TSRUsername99

Original post by the bear

obviously as a Christian i expect abusive replies. have a nice day :h:

Maybe someone could get you a safe space set up?

Reply 81

the bear

Original post by TSRUsername99

Maybe someone could get you a safe space set up?

oooh get back in the knife box

Reply 82

TSRUsername99

Original post by the bear

oooh get back in the knife box

Reply 83

Fenneko

Original post by the bear

as a Christian i am fundamentally opposed to people playing God. the Almighty has decreed the time and nature of our passing. it is not for some box ticking bureaucrat with their eye on the care bill to decide.

Even though it looks like you oppose euthanasia, could you actually clarify that to avoid confusion?

If you're joking, then well done.

Reply 84

Dr Pesto

Original post by the bear

Quite so; instead it is for an individual to decide whether to end their life.

Reply 85

the bear

Original post by Joel 96

Even though it looks like you oppose euthanasia, could you actually clarify that to avoid confusion?

If you're joking, then well done.

i do not joke about my ( or other people's ) religion. the orthodox Christian view about the sanctity of life is as i stated above.

Reply 86

Fenneko

Original post by the bear

i do not joke about my ( or other people's ) religion. the orthodox Christian view about the sanctity of life is as i stated above.

You still haven't clarified if that is your position.

Reply 87

the bear

Original post by Joel 96

You still haven't clarified if that is your position.

i must refer you to my previous post.

Reply 88

Fenneko

Original post by the bear

i must refer you to my previous post.

Which post? I haven't yet seen you explicitly state that you're against euthanasia.
Saying you're religious is all well and good, but it just seems to me like you're hiding behind that as some form of protection.
All I want is for you to clarify that that is your position.

Reply 89

user382

Original post by the bear

Not quite sure if this is a joke or not? :eyeball:

Reply 90

the bear

Original post by stefano865

Not quite sure if this is a joke or not? :eyeball:

may i refer you to the post i made at 09:19 this morning ?

Reply 91

user382

Sowwi bear. :redface:

Obviously have read this page since. :wink:

Reply 92

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by claireestelle

I think doctors would want to do it if that was what the patient wanted and they had lost quality of life. I'm completely for euthanasia if done correctly, the Netherlands has a good system and personally if i became terminally ill I would like to have that choice.

75% of doctors in a major poll (Hospital Doctor, 15 May 2003) have already indicated that they will not participate in euthanasia if it is legalised

Association for Palliative Medicine of Great Britain & Ireland, which represents over 800 UK specialists in palliative care: Well over 90% of its members are strongly opposed to euthanasia.

The British Medical Association (BMA), the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), the Royal College of Anaesthetists, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, The Royal College of Nursing and the British Geriatric Society also remain strongly opposed to euthanasia.

Dismissing the objections of the vast majority of doctors is missing the huge logistical problem legalising any form of euthanasia or PAS would face.

Reply 93

neb789

Original post by PQ

That's a poll from 13 years ago? Is it still as relevant now?

Reply 94

Lawbringer

I wish when im like too sick to enjoy life say cancer or something i can legally be euthanised. If not then id go towards of means such as blowing my brains out in america or something. I hate having a short headache now x10 for the rest of your life if you get something bad nope im gonna gtfo lol

Reply 95

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by neb789

That's a poll from 13 years ago? Is it still as relevant now?

The BMA, RCP and other review their policy annually based on member opinions (see http://www.bma.org.uk/support-at-work/ethics/bma-policy-assisted-dying and similar).

The 90% disagree for specialists in Palliative care is the most concerning. Basically the experts in end of life care would not want legalisation. So if legalisation happens then the people with the most experience in EOL care will no longer be able to practice EOL care and the people assisting in PAS or similar will not be those with expertise in EOL care. It's a logistical shitstorm.

Reply 96

neb789

Original post by PQ

So would you say its more about protecting jobs?

Reply 97

NekoAngel13

I would say yes but we need to determine the safeguards first before we jump the gun. We have to make it as safe and as protected as possible. Things like quality of life, physical and mental health need to be assessed. Especially in cases where the person in question might not be able to communicate as clearly with us.

Reply 98

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by neb789

So would you say its more about protecting jobs?

No

I'd say it's more about making sure that the people given power in a situation which could end up with someone dead are those with the most expertise in alleviating suffering and caring for people at the end of their life. If we bring in a law that automatically stops those with the most experience and expertise in EOL care from being involved in EOL care then you're essentially setting up a situation where EOL care becomes focused on ending life and not on caring. The majority of people offering palliative care would have no expertise in the alternatives to PAS. Logistically that is a ridiculous situation. The post I replied to was stating that "doctors would be ok to do this" - I was pointing out that actually they're not ok, there's a lot of evidence to suggest that the majority disagree with PAS or similar schemes and that this objection is strongest from those people with the most experience in end of life care.

My personal objections to euthanasia or PAS are more broad ranging: http://lisybabe.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/if-you-were-me-then-youd-be-screaming.html sums some of them up much better than I've ever managed.

Reply 99

moonkatt

I work in critical care. We often reach a point where treatment is futile and treatment is withdrawn. The various support systems and drugs we have running are gradually withdrawn with the knowledge that the patient will subsequently die following the removal of this treatment. This is done because treatment is futile, the patient is going to die and all we would do by continuing treatment is prolong suffering. So I suppose, in a way, we already do this within the confines of the law, however it's a cessation of treatment rather than actively administering something to end someone's life.

Palliative care in this country isn't the best it could be. It started off as something that was more of a speciality confined to cancer specialists, but is starting to broaden and patients have better access to services at the end of life. It's something that we're going to need to get a lot better at with an ageing population, but some of the best guidance and pathways we used to use have been removed following misuse by some practitioners and a hysterical campaign by the tabloid press. People should be able to expect good quality end of life care, with pain and anxiety well managed, with any distressing symptoms of their illness completely under control. I think if we were better at this, many people might not see as AS or euthanasia as their only option to avoid suffering.

On the flip side of this, there are some horrific diseases where your body fails yet your mind keeps going, such as motor neurone disease or locked in syndrome as people have already mentioned in this thread. I have a friend who lost a parent to MND, and I can completely understand why anyone would want to choose to die over the suffering that a disease like that can cause.