LONDON (AP) — Lawmakers in the Scottish Parliament will vote Tuesday on whether to make Scotland the first part of the United Kingdom to allow terminally ill adults to end their lives.

Members of the Edinburgh-based legislature have been given a free vote on the assisted dying bill, meaning they can decide according to their consciences, rather than along party lines. That makes it hard to predict the outcome of the decision, expected after 2200GMT.

Scotland is part of the U.K. — alongside England, Wales and Northern Ireland — and has a semi-autonomous government that has authority over many areas of policy, including health.

If the bill became law, people in Scotland with six months or less to live would be able to seek help to end their life. Two doctors would have to confirm the person was terminally ill and had the mental capacity to make the request.

1 comment

sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] 2 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I felt like the proposal was obvious, but a line in the article gave me pause:

Some medical organizations, including the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, are also opposed.

The article states: "But opponents of assisted dying argued that vulnerable, elderly, ill and depressed people could be pressured to end their lives so they’re not a burden on others." It's a concern I understand and that these major organizations (respectively the main organizations for psychiatry and pharmacy in the UK) seemingly think can't be outweighed (edit: this assumption wasn't the whole story). Maybe I'll look for their statements (if they're publicly available) and read what specific issues they see.


Edit:

Section 18 previously provided statutory protections for clinicians who chose not to participate in assisted dying, ensuring that their decision would not affect their employment, regulatory standing or professional relationships. [...] [Found in full statement:] Without explicit legal backing, psychiatrists are concerned that they may facepressure from colleagues or employers, or be placed in professionally contentious situations without adequate safeguards. This raises risks both for practitioners and for patients."

While the Royal Pharmaceutical Society takes a neutral stance on assisted dying, we have maintained the position that any proposed legislation must include clauses on both conscientious objection and criminal liability.

Both go into detail about their objections, but the RPS arguably moreso.

  • source
  • 19 comments in c/world view that post
    [–] 64 points 7 months ago (16 children)

    Why are so many people against letting people choose their fate. Its their life and their choice. Sigh.

  • source
  • hideshow 16 child comments
  • [–] 21 points 7 months ago (4 children)
  • [–] 13 points 7 months ago (3 children)

    Scotland is one of the least religious places in the west, the main argument is that people would try and kill their vulnerable family members to get inheritance / not have to deal with them anymore.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 6 points 7 months ago (3 children)

    I'm not sure if I would vote for that for this exact reason. Instincts tell me this will be taken advantage of by bad actors

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    A lot of laws that I've seen say that they have to be diagnosed to be terminally ill less than x months to live and also psychologically evaluated.

    It's hard for me to see how that would be easily taken advantage of.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    Yes the laws say that. People following the laws is another thing. I've read articles about people conspiring together to get their hands on estates. There needs to be real effective guard rails in place to stop older people being taken advantage of

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago

    It seems like a pretty convoluted way to do it. Presumably they'd need a doctor to get a terminal diagnosis, that'd be hard to fake especially without the victim having any second opinions with other doctors.

    Seems like murder with extra steps. I think the good of the law outweighs these edge cases.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 4 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (6 children)

    We’re worried that liberals and neoliberals alike will use it as an excuse to defund public healthcare - already happening in Canada for example. I’m for the right to end one’s life but it’s a huge risk given current political climate.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 6 child comments
  • [–] 9 points 7 months ago (4 children)

    Defunding healthcare is Canada has nothing to do with MAID. It has everything to do with Canadian oligarchs wanting privatization.

    There's a lot of misinformation about MAID in Canada manufactured by people who think they'll get into heaven if they force cancer patients to endure months of agony before they die.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 0 points 7 months ago (3 children)

    Oligarchs wanting privatisation doesn’t really invalidate that they’re using euthanasia as an acceptable alternative to an expensive treatment. And those people are in power everywhere.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 6 points 7 months ago

    Canadian's are not using euthanasia as an alternative to any treatment, that is either a lie or intentionally misleading. The recipient of MAID in Canada has to request the procedure and be approved by two physicians. The people pushing defunding healthcare are conservative provincial governments who want to enrich their corporate donors.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 6 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    You honestly think there are patients going in to consult with their doctors about treatment and the doctors strong arm them into killing themselves to save the province money?

    Are you basing this on a personal experience or has your brain lost the battle with your phone?

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago*

    This wasn’t what I meant at all. I meant that euthanasia being legal opens up discussion about what’s the reasonable limit of who public healthcare can afford to treat. That in itself isn’t that much of an issue but we have to consider that we have neoliberal vultures drafting public budgets.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 21 points 7 months ago

    Assholes.i hope they all suffer slow painfu agonizing deaths.

  • source
  • [–] 20 points 7 months ago

    I wish i have that choice if/when I'm terminally ill. I dont think it will happen here my side of planet

  • source