To think voting for assisted dying legalisation could be a huge mistake???

[MyLimeGuide]

In Scotland they are voting to legalise assisted dying. Looking likely to pass. I am worried this will come to England now. Kier is already proving he doesn't care about old and disabled people so this scares me.
Obviously there are 2 sides but how can people be so ignorant? If passed this could be one of the biggest opportunity for corrupt evil behaviour of saving money on the NHS, care, people literally getting away murder, playing god! No not good. It's so scary.

if assisted dying was only for those people and only ever for those people or those who had a very short ( and medically guaranteed limited life left ) who would be suffering during that time then I would agree to it.
Along with only the person themselves agreeing, not others as is the case.

That’s not the case though !

The current assisted dying bill would not be relevant to either your mum or dad in these scenarios though.

A family friend was severely ill and it was only the last few weeks of her life she needed personal care from her family. My Mum has said many times that she would absolutely not want anyone, paid carer or family member, to be involved in toileting or personal hygiene and she wouldn't want to live like that. The family friend would have fallen within the remit of this bill, although she fervently wanted to live and was still hoping for a cure until a few days before her death when she was in such pain she desperately wanted the end to come.

I'd rather either of them had the option available to go peacefully with their families by their sides than end up flying to Switzerland or taking a concoction of medication which might kill them or might just hurt them a lot, and I think this would be a risk with my Mum, she's very determined about it.

It would be a discussion if it was via assisted dying 🙄 I dont know why you cant see a difference but it probably explains your general stance on things.

Ours is too, unless you have a very serious illness. Good luck getting a blood test or regular doctor, but if you’re seriously ill you are prioritized. My dad’s example is fitting…he had symptoms but the wait time to see his own doctor was too long. He ended up going to the ER on Saturday night, and he got a CT scan and an initial diagnosis that night. The next morning, which was a Sunday, he got an appointment with a specialist and from then on it was a well oiled machine. His cancer is not curable, but it is treatable with expensive hormone therapy, paid by the govt. That gives him extra years and good ones.

I am desperately hoping this is passed.

I believe the whole coercion and disabling argument is massively overstated.

I'd like to be able to take my own life in dignity when the time comes.

I think that you need to see an often elderly loved one, who is going to die soon one way or another, suffer day after day with no respite. It is awful for them and traumatising for family.

But I wonder that the assisted dying scheme is the way to go? Essentially assisted dying already exists at extreme end of life when driver is fitted and the person lapses into unconsciousness and then dies peacefully. My mums face looked so smooth when the lines of pain were removed. But extremes of suffering are required prior to that. Why is suffering and trauma required? I would prefer sufficient morphine to manage pain and when it no longer worked a little more to end all pain.

Lots of excellent debate on this topic today, both in the commons and online.

This tweet from David Smith MP really resonated with me:

'To me, in straightforward terms, the #AssistedDyingBill necessitates a decision: do we prioritise autonomy for individuals who have the agency to choose it, or solidarity with those who will be pressured into it?

I choose solidarity.'

sorry to tell you and I am glad it worked for your Mum (it worked for my mum too) but some people as well as the honking regular doses of morphine need to be intubated or have other interventions.

sorry to quote twice but who is going to decide about the little more morphine?

If it’s like Canada, the patient administers it themselves. The doctor prescribes the dosage and combination that will ensure a quick passing, but the patient takes the pills, or liquid, or pushes the plunger into their IV line.

If the person is unable to do that, they can’t do MAID.

The law ensures that the doctors and family members won’t get prosecuted for prescribing the meds or not stopping the patient from taking them.

but surely that is assisted dying?

Brushedcottonpajamas · 14/05/2025 21:34

Think is exactly what will happen. People will become a burden and talked into killing themselves. 1 in 5 deaths in Canada are assisted suicide. When people are given a diagnosis they are offered assisted suicide as an option alongside treatment options, pain management, palliative care. Don't be under any allusions it's about compassion. It's about money!!

Why shouldn't people be offered assisted dying as a treatment option?
It would give me such peace of mind if I could do this.
I was diagnosed with lung damage after covid. I asked the consultant what was likely to happen and he said drugs (with unpleasant side effects) may slow the progress but I'm likely to get increasingly breathless and get repeated attacks of pneumonia and need oxygen ...there was no other treatment option.
I've seen people die from lung disease and it is terrifying how much they suffer and how little can be done to help.

I wanted to ask about refusing treatment for pneumonia as this might be a way of having a more peaceful death (called the old mans friend), but was a bit worried he may write in my notes that I was a suicide risk.

For those against Assisted Dying, well then how about keeping those suffering in a permanent coma so that they are unaware of their pain? Until the end.

I'm not going to tell you where I live just so you can go onto dubious websites to find "proof" to back up your claims.

As for the rest of your post, it has nothing whatsoever to do with your claim about how the system works in other countries which was what I was disputing.

I want it to be passed as soon as possible 🤞

I had to watch my grandmother be essentially starved, with no food or water. It took about 3 weeks and was horrible to witness. An injection would have been much kinder to her and everyone who saw it happen. It was about 15 years ago and I can still picture her face. They do this now, it's just not called that.

We already have assisted dying in this country, I have seen it myself. Only it was called "putting on a pathway". And it was the right thing to do.

If you were so sure it was nonsense, you'd happily share where you lived.

The rest of my post is pointing out why it wouldn't work in this country.

Replying to your original post it can swing two-ways. Ie estranged people who arnt pleasant enjoying the thought of someone having a prolonged and painful death.

It's working fine in other countries and it's humane.

I wish we could be given an opt out of ever being approached by any professional about AD just like organ donation opt out. Then those of us who don’t agree with this bill needn’t worry about pressure or coercion.

I dont think that would work because if you have people in your life who you are worried are the type to pressure you to end your life then surely they would just pressure you to reverse the opt out.

I thought it was limited to people who are terminally ill and expected to pass away within 6 months and that health professionals would not be allowed to suggest it to patients.

I appreciate Canada is an outlier but the way it works in most countries is you approach a medical professional. My aunt lived in the Netherlands and she actually had a card stating she’d like all treatment available if admitted to hospital and had that registered at the Gp equivalent. She wasn’t anti euthsnasia, she was very much pro choice.

I think possibly we should all be a bit more pragmatic and have the hard conversations. So if I developed dementia then when it got to a certain stage only pain relief for me. I think I’d rather my high blood pressure did me in than linger on a cocktail of life prolonging statins, vaccinations, antibiotics, blood thinners etc.

Pretty sure you are right but sometimes people aren’t keen on facts as it interrupts the slippery slope hyperbole. The statistics would tell us that it accounts for 5% or less deaths even in countries with the widest criteria and out of those the vast majority have terminal cancer.

The state of Oregon in the U.S. is a pretty good example of somewhere that started off allowing just terminal patients who have to ask their medical professional and thst remains in place still.