They don't want us to have a choice over death do they?

[Hunnymonster1]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2lyl8jrvlo.amp

This is so bloody annoying why are we so backward compared to other countries? Other countries have this sorted like america.In some states, belgium, holland, Switzerland.
They are not gonna allow this to happen are they? Which means the rich will go and pay dignitas and the poor will suffer. I am starting to get so annoyed by the mps of this country
Am I being unreasonable into thinking that they are backwards and should have given maybe the British public a referendum on a subject matter so important to individual people. If not a ref why is our country so backwards

This. It's been horrendous watching my relative suffer and we have the ability to prevent it. There is not health and social care system in the world who could stop my relative from suffering now, so it's not some failure of the system.

you know it's not either or? we can improve the quality of palliative care AND give people the right to a dignified and comfortable death at a time of their choosing?

I'd like to choose when I exit, especially if I am in pain or become a burden on family or society 😬

I’m an atheist and deeply concerned by canadas forays into trying to expand it to people with mental health conditions.

I feel really conflicted by this on one hand it’s your life to do what you wish with and I’d rather someone had a painless end than a slow excruciating one (whether through illness or a suicide attempt).

On the other, I can as old see vulnerable people being manipulates or people with mental health issues that could improve. I had a 20 year period where I would have chosen to end my life if someone was able to do it painlessly with guaranteed results, but in the end I am actually a happy person now.

I, too, feel this way.

My mum died of cancer a few years ago aged 66. She had chemo to extend her life, but I really wish she hadn't. The last two year of her life, she was in complete agony and would literally sit on the sofa and sob from the pain. She went to the palliative care team repeatedly and tryied every type of pain relief, but nothing helped. She even spen time in the hospice so the could observe, her to see if they could find triggers, nothing helped. It was horrendous for her and traumatising for the rest of the family. Dad suffered with ptsd after she died.
My mum was one of life's troopers, who never missed a day of work, unless she was dying and rarely complained about life. To me this was an awful end for such a lovely woman. I know she would have chosen a peaceful death if she had been given the option.

It makes me really angry that people are against assisted dying for everyone just because they don't want it themselves.

It's fine not to want it for yourself, just like it's fine not to want an abortion yourself - but other people who do want it should have that choice.

It must be possible to have adequate safeguards.

1. So the scheme is opt in only, like organ donation used to be, the default is no assisted dying (red traffic light on your medical notes).
2. You can opt in at any time, subject to capacity ( and perhaps other relevant checks around coercion.) This grants an amber light on your notes.
3. There are only a limited list of conditions for which you can actually convert your amber to green. This can't be strayed from unless there is an amendment voted on in parliament like the original Act.
4. You can revert green or amber to red at any time and with no checks/approvals anything else required. Simply telling a medical professional.

I want the right to die. Yes, ok, if I want to commit suicide I suppose I can, but I'd like a medically organised death please. Just like I'd have a medical abortion, rather than a DIY one. I don't see how anyone has the right to deny someone a quick and peaceful death.

Like others, I've seen the slow crawl to death through dementia. It's fucking horrible. In Macbeth, Shakespeare punishes lady m by having lose her mind and speech, but at least she doesn't live for long like that. My family members have lived like that for years and I don't want to go out like that.

Anyone who is against assisted dying read the story of Mark Van Dongen, and you tell me that he should have been left in a room, barely able to move and in excruciating agony for the rest of his natural life just because of all your bloody pointless moral objections!

They should be voting as their constituents want them to. Not on their own religious grounds.

I think it is unpleasant to suggest that people who have objections to assisted dying are happy to watch people die awful deaths.

Just visit any top floor of a nursing home. The residents are all in bed, in various states, all needing 24/7 care for their every need. They are generally well looked after, fed, kept clean, given life extending drugs, kept alive. They have no idea where they are, or what is happening. It's horrifying. I wouldn't want it for myself, and my relatives have made every effort to ensure they don't end up like that either, but at the moment you can only decline treatment, and you have to be very specific, and even then your wishes can be over-ridden.

I've read loads around this over the last few weeks, have you OP?

There are some really convincing arguments on both sides, but having thought I'd be in favour, I'm very much against now.

So sorry. My blood ran cold reading this. A horrific thing for you both to go through. It isn’t right that a person’s final weeks should be spent in suffering - it robs them of all the good memories and happy times that they could be looking back on as they near the end. The unfortunate truth is that physical pain conquers love, hope, dignity, joy, and all the good things. It doesn’t have to be like this and I despair at how backwards we are as a country.

I used to believe in assisted dying until a month ago

Now I KNOW it's just a way to kill people to save money

No one wants to do proper end of life care because the almost dead have no voice and ugly sick people do not make the healthy living feel sympathetic

Instead they feel (understandable) revulsion as we are programmed to shy away from disease

And we don't have the foresight to understand it's going to happen to EVERY ONE OF US 🤦‍♀️

So let's sort out compassionate end of life care with the good drugs

Good drugs?! Why don't we just get 'good drugs' to cure the illnesses?! Because it's not that easy.

Choose to eek out your own survival but don't condemn me to that thanks

I get very angry when people who haven't seen a loved one die voice their opinions - until you've sat there and watched someone die a bad death, I don't believe your opinion is remotely relevant in this

You can't insist that only people who have been affected by things are allowed to make laws or have opinions.

As a matter of fact I have counselled terminally ill patients and been with two family members when they died in pain (and one who was not) and I was still relieved that Wes Streeting announced this today.

I have zero confidence in this country being able to do this ethically.

Offering terminally ill patients AD is a very worrying development (Belgium).

Speak for yourself

I think adults should have a choice when to say ‘enough’. I think anyone that wants out should be allowed to get out.

They are.

I found that documentary was terribly one sided. There was a huge lack of perspective from the other side. I don't believe we have stats from other countries showing how granny was forced to do herself in care of the family? What I'm seeing is people pursuing it for reasons that others don't agree with.
If someone is suffering so severely with their MH that they want to die, I'm all for that tbh. There needs to be safeguards. People are killing themselves in horrific circumstances and leaving horrific legacies. That's no better.
All those opposing this would soon change their mind given the right debilitating and agonising long drawn out condition that was unmanageable with pain relief.

We can talk about investing in end of life care. This won't even fix it. People suffer in absolute torture and it can't always be managed. For example, vomiting your own feaces out your mouth - no pain relief is helping that one. And yes this can happen to people. I've been there. Then we have the nature of humans. I've been in hospital watching people left alone suffering and crying. Call bells ignored, all sorts of horror. And it's clear to me that this is not always about resources. Being in extreme agony and vulnerable with no family to advocate is a place I promise not one of you would ever imagine.

I agree; its my body and I would like control over how I end my days. That is what my FIL was trying to do when he stopped eating; he wanted to end his life on his terms (he told us as much). Absolutely terrible to see him in such distress; fortunately covid took him and spared him a long drawn out death.

I'm not religious and I strongly oppose euthanasia, I'm also a nurse and involved in end of life care.

If euthanasia is legalised I'd have to leave nursing, it's just not okay.

It's possible to have a painless and dignified death without needing to kill people. It would also be impossible to safeguard, how could you possibly know whether a vulnerable person is being coerced or pressured to make this decision.

So what is it then?!

Why are people arguing to rely on medicine and care that doesn't actually exist right now?

Death from certain ailments is undisputedly painful and horrific. Regardless of best in class medical care.