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.

But if someone is only depressed, legalised assisted dying isn't going to be an option presented to them by doctors.

No, but how would you know if it's the depression or the illness that's making them choose to die?

Same here. My mother would never have wanted what happened to her - a long drawn out disintegration and no quality of life. We focus too much on keeping people alive no matter what. Everyone should be able choose to end their lives with dignity.

That's why there's all the hoops to jump through. Where it's done properly there's multiple clinical professionals who have to sign off on it. There's counselling to go through first. You have to be determined to be eligible for it, of sound mind and capable of making the decision, your quality of life not likely to improve. They may be depressed because they can't face lying their last six months unable to move, feed themselves, go to the toilet etc; the terminal illness is causing the depression. If there is an illness but that's not the only factor for the depression, it's unlikely a whole team of doctors will agree that assisted dying is the right option.

It's not going to be a case of someone saying "I want to die please" and doctors going "oh, ok, here's some medication".

Personally i envisage assisted dying in the UK (if it becomes a thing) to be a massive quantity of hoops to jump through. It's what everything is like here. We love a bit of red tape and then some. In this case a good thing IMO.

I can see it being so hard to access that for many it won't happen or happens too late.

Legislation covering such a huge subject is unlikely to strike the balance exactly right. So as i say - better that it's too cautious.

The sooner the law is passed the better. We treat animals better than humans when it comes to dying with dignity.

I agree. Simply wanting to end your life should be enough. I don't think the state should have any right to tell me what to do with mine.

I am so much in two minds about the assisted dying

I don't think it goes far enough.
If I am not terminal but in a lot of pain I don't want pain management that means I am totally pain free but absolutely high as a kite on a cocktail of drugs, unable to communicate that I am laying in a full nappy. What is the point of that extra time. Once I can no longer read or hold a conversation I don't want to be here.

I watched my mum deteriorate before my eyes through Alzheimers and there was an obvious point where it was, quite honestly, cruel for her to be kept alive.
I don't want to be that out of self control, to be terrified of life because I don't understand what is happening in a normal run of the mill day. To no longer know my loved ones and to feel alone and abandoned, crying out the name of the loved one sitting in the chair in front of me.
Not even in pain just total and complete mental anguish for every waking hour.

I will leave plenty of documentation stating my wishes should I be in either condition later in life and hope against hope that the law catches up by then. If the documentation is lodged with my will and/or GP in advance, and two doctors agree I have met the criteria then give me the end I want.

And you think it is possible for our government to fund that for someone with six months left to live before they lose capacity/die? Do you know how long the waiting lists are currently for counselling and psychological assessments? Then there will be the court system to go through once that is approved, which is lengthy.

As an example, they might wait 9 months for counselling and need however many sessions. Then 2 years to see a psycologist. Then wait 20 weeks for an initial court date. Unless you think they should be bumped to the front of the queue and people in crisis unable to see anyone?

I haven't made any comments on whether I think the six months is enough. I think it should be open to anyone terminal who wants it providing they have the right help reaching that decision.

Nor have I made any comments on our governments abilities to carry it out. But it's also not going to be a "yes" vote and then tomorrow everyone can choose to die. Look how long Brexit took to happen. There will be a process for getting things in place.

So how long are these hoops going to take, bearing in mind the legislation is only for those with less than 6m to live?

You think the state should assist anyone who wants to kill themselves?!

I think you might need to ask the government that.

My opinion on the fact it's right to offer to people with the correct support doesn't mean I have a y insight on the governments workings.

My point is that we know our current government do not have the infrastructure to safeguard this.

Then OP doesn't need to worry. The legislation will go in, noone will be able to access it, it won't happen.

Doesn't stop it being a good thing for people to be allowed to make these decisions for themselves and for it to one day be possible here.

Yes.

No the legislation is then in place. It is then fairly easy for the government to relax safeguards to make this accessible to anyone they see fit and obviously that will depend on the government in power at the time.

Yes, assisted dying is far too liberal in Canada and the Netherlands. We’ll look back on this in horror.

You still have to get doctors to agree to it and they have a very different moral code to the government.

@Magnesiumsuppliments · Today 09:05
And you think it is possible for our government to fund that for someone with six months left to live before they lose capacity/die? Do you know how long the waiting lists are currently for counselling and psychological assessments? Then there will be the court system to go through once that is approved, which is lengthy.

I can see the point you're making and you're probably right. However, when people talk about 'How about doing better with end of life care', and 'help to live not die', what do they mean? More medicine? Drugging people up to the eyeballs so they aren't awake through the pain for weeks? Will that be any cheaper, or any more doable?

Genuine question.

I speak from personal and professional experience. High quality palliative care, unless you mean keeping a person unconscious, does not always work.

It depends on the laws in place at the time doesn't it. 10 years down the line, assisted dying could look very different. If a Reform type government came into power after a decade of relaxing this, the country could look very different. Whilst Governments cannot be seen to force people, they often coerce people.

No, we will look back in horror at the avoidable end of life suffering we now inflict on everyone.

I disagree with the majority of Reform policies, but actually, the country needs to change. Just not necessarily how they want it to.

The country isn't great at the moment. But giving people the freedom to die with dignity instead of having to die in pain having refused intervention or be kept alive via extreme measures isn't a bad thing, if done right. We need more choices for people, not less.