Care Not Killing Alliance eNewsletter April 2012
CNK welcomes MPs endorsement of palliative care and rejection of attempt to change assisted suicide law (28th March)
Care Not Killing welcomed MPs’ decision to encourage further development of specialist palliative care and hospice provision and their endorsement of the current law on assisted suicide. CNK Director Dr Peter Saunders said, ‘Any attempt to decriminalise assisted suicide or euthanasia would result in a huge escalation of cases as seen in jurisdictions like Oregon and the Netherlands. As determined by a previous House of Lords enquiry, with an Oregon or Netherlands type law in Britain we would have 1,000 and 13,000 cases respectively annually.’
Huge increase in assisted suicide cases in Oregon and Switzerland sounds strong warning to Britain
There has been a massive increase in cases of assisted suicide in both Oregon and Switzerland over recent years according to the latest figures. The latest figures from Oregon show that cases of assisted suicide have gone from 16 in 1998 to 71 in 2011, an increase of 450%. Switzerland has seen a 700% increase in assisted suicides over the same period. Swiss authorities have recorded a steady rise of assisted suicides in recent years, from 43 in 1998 to 297 in 2009.
Case of locked-in syndrome seeks to establish dangerous precedent (13th March)
Legal action brought by a locked-in syndrome sufferer, Tony Nicklinson, can go ahead following a judge's ruling. The Ministry of Justice had previously argued that the case should be struck out on the grounds that it is a matter for parliament, rather than the courts, to decide. The key point to grasp about this case is that Nicklinson, because he is not capable of killing himself even with assistance, is not seeking assisted suicide but euthanasia. So this is an assault on the law of murder and not the Suicide Act 1961.
Government blocks attempt by pro-euthanasia lobby to fetter DPP in bringing prosecutions for assisted suicide (13th February)
The House of Lords had a debate on assisted suicide. The one hour dinner debate, in which 30 peers spoke, was focused on the role of the Director of Public Prosecutions in cases of assisted suicide. Lord Wallace made it very clear that the government intends to let the DPP get on with his job without interfering.
Shroud of Secrecy surrounds Assisted Suicide in Oregon
An Oregon Style law would lead to around 1,200 cases a year in Britain. An article byJonathan Imbody has highlighted that two patients ingested the medication but failed to die and some doctors knew the patient for only one week before writing the prescriptions.
Lessons from assisted suicide campaigner's death (13th March)
A Bristol woman who launched a legal battle five years ago has died. The 35-year-old had been campaigning for more than six years to change the law on assisted suicide and euthanasia. Kelly Taylor lived more than five years after she first brought her case and it shows how inaccurate doctors' predictions of life expectancy can be.
Other news:
The Role of the Media in Shaping the UK Debate on ‘Assisted Dying’
This review article by CNK’s Campaign Director Dr Peter Saunders examines the role of the media in shaping the UK debate on ‘assisted dying’. The article was published in the September 2011 edition of Medical Law International and both the abstract and full text pdf are available free on line.
Improving end-of-life care: Professional development for physicians
The Royal College of Physicians has produced a report called ‘Improving end-of-life care: professional development for physicians.’ The report recommends that all hospital doctors, not just specialists, should be supported to improve the care given to patients at the end of their lives. It provides suggestions and proposals for trusts to improve care at the end of life.
Personal Stories:
Alison Davis on BBC World Service
Alison Davis was interviewed by Mark Dowd on the BBC World Service in the first episode of a series Heart And Soul: Choosing Life. When Alison wanted to die, she thought that she would be doing her friends and family a favour. It was a life changing encounter with a student that helped to change Alison’s life.
Triumph over adversity: Brilliant article about British DJ with locked in syndrome
‘Locked in, but still lost in music: UK's bravest DJ’ tells the story of Bram Harrison, 34, who suffered brain damage two weeks before his 21st birthday after falling head-first off his bicycle. He was left with locked-in syndrome and can move only his eyes and eye lids. His desire for a long, healthy, meaningful life may strike some as surprising. On his website, eyelife.org, he writes about the loneliness of being locked in and his desire to fall in love.
Father Surprises Doctor: a son rethinks mercy killing
Richard Faraway tells the story of when he thought that 'mercy killing' would be a good idea. Now he shudders to think how he would have missed 13 very precious years with his father.
‘Mum, I love you.’ Paralysed man’s first words in 19 years
A 37-year-old paralysed man has spoken for the first time in nearly 20 years – and told his mum ‘I love you’. Simon Ellis was told he would never talk again after being involved in a car accident in 1992. But now, after being cared for at a Sue Ryder care home in Ipswich for 18 years, Mr Ellis has uttered his first words since the accident. But in an interview with The Times newspaper she called for other sufferers not to give up hope, saying: ‘Hope is the last thing you should lose.’
George Pitcher shares his story about caring for his mother at the end of her life, and how he realized what he would have lost, in the last powerful moments of his mother’s life.
Care Not Killing DVDs
Request our free DVDs and pass them onto your friends, families, colleagues, schools, places of worship, or organisations. Our most recent DVD 'Disabled people speak on assisted dying' and our earlier DVD ‘Doctors speak on assisted dying' are both available. Email info@carenotkilling.org.uk
Speak out
Please keep writing your comments online in response to articles in the media. Engage in discussions and write letters to newspapers and politicians with your views. Medical members can write to BMA News and medical journals.
Personal Stories
As the risks of any weakening in the law in relation to Assisted Suicide become increasingly highlighted, a number of you are writing to the Care Not Killing Alliance with your own experience of why you feel the law is best kept as it is. Send us your own story to info@carenotkilling.org.uk. Please include whether or not you are happy for your story to feature on our website, and visit our Personal Stories page.
Facebook and Twitter
CNK is now on Facebook and Twitter
Support
CNK continues to be grateful for every donation
To unsubscribe please reply with unsubscribe in the title of the email.
