Euthanasia - a solution to suffering?

In many cases, yes, it's technically assisted suicide.

If they're in a vegetative state it will be the healthcare professional that performs the euthanasia.

Following the consent of the patient, yes. I've not argued against that. What is your point here? In some cases, the doctor may ultimately have to administer the deadly drug, yes.

What if the patient is unable to consent? Who gives the family authority to make the decision? What if the patient has no family? The doctor decides if the life is not worth living? What gives the doctor that authority to take somebodies life?

My point is that euthanasia is a really complex issue on so many levels. It's no where near as simple as saying that a patient has the right to choose whether they live or not.

It's not though. You are referring to the exceptions. There will always be exceptions to everything. Most people will be able to consent though, and those people should most certainly be given the choice.

Well this is life and death we are talking about so what happens in those 'exceptions'? It's a grey area.. There has to be consistent law and policy that can be applied otherwise it won't work. It's exceptional circumstances that warrant euthanasia, it's not something that's taken lightly.

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.

Did you work with any patients that had severe brain damage and or next to no quality of life? A human vegetable?

How do you feel about DNR policy?

There cannot be a consistent law to apply to everything. They should all be handled on a case by case basis. Circumstances vary as you have suggested.

Families can consent, is it so different to being removed from life support? This isn't a taboo thing because it's widely accepted.
People with no family may have a close friend consent, or perhaps a panel of doctors or even courts.

Hmm good point.

But what about when there is a conflict of interest. Insurance, or a will? Could have a year+ but let's just end the life now so we get the money now, see what I'm saying?

This has become somewhat of a personal issue for me as of late. My Grandad is terminally ill with a brain tumour - we will be lucky if he makes it through the weekend. My dad said to me on the phone on Friday 'if euthanasia was legal in this country it would have been done already'... This might seem cruel to some but seeing him like this I have to say I agree. I'm sorry but I'd rather give my Grandad a peaceful death than see him suffer like this.

And I'm not saying 'suffer' just for the sake of this argument. Just today they had to up his pain meds and he can't even feed himself anymore. When I compare this to the person he used to be I can 100% say he is suffering.

So I completely agree with legalising Euthaniasia as long as controls are put in place to make sure that it is not abused - agreement of doctors etc. Maybe even asking everyone at the same time as they are asked about organ donation etc. If they would want to be euthanised if they ended up in this situation.

Pain relief? really? You think that all this man needed was pain relief?

Well, you seem to think the solution is to push her off the cliff ourselves.

Surely the role of society and the family is to make her not want to wheel herself off the edge of the cliff in the first place, rather than taking the control and zipping her off at rampant apace under the guise of "dignity"

No, I believe that people should be looked after emotionally, mentally & physically (and indeed, I have done so for the dying and the now dead). Your argument is that the one thing "this man needs" is to be slaughtered.

The message you send to people with these crippling diseases is that their life has no value, no hope of happiness, no chance of joy, so it's better just to give into your depression and end it all now. You use words like "compassion" and "dignity" as a masquerade for the violence you would do to the most needy in our society. Killing off the helpless is neither compassionate nor dignified.


SS

But wouldn't God's hand be behind the bureaucrat's box ticking?

I like where this is going! Where does dignity come into things then? The wish that you don't have to go out miserably?

Yes, and that you don't have to wait until you slowly lose your ability to complete even the simplest of tasks.

And where might a master craftsman or a prima ballerina wish to draw the line? Going from such high levels to lower and lower levels of skill could cause a divergence in the timings/skills levels?