Royal College of Physicians
Just three days ago, we emailed you to let you know that the Royal College of Physicians had moved the closing date of its controversial members' poll on assisted suicide from the end of February to 17 February - this Sunday - having initially declined to state a closing date at all.
You may not be entirely surprised to learn, given that precedent, that the closing date has now been moved again, to 1 March.
While this does give more time for members and fellows who haven't already responded to do so, we would urge them not to delay. Taken alongside the Council's imposition of a two thirds supermajority necessary to stave off neutrality, and the subsequent change to a 60% supermajority, we cannot know what turns the process might take next. Please also bring the poll to the attention of any members and fellows known to you; we continue to hear accounts of members who were unaware the consultation was even taking place.
New CNK polling: public are aware of the dangers of assisted suicide
A ComRes poll concerning attitudes to assisted suicide, commissioned by CNK, has found that:
- 51% 'would be concerned that some people would feel pressurised into accepting help to take their own life so as not to be a burden on others' if assisted suicide were legal (with only 25% disagreeing)
- 48% say that giving GPs 'the power to help patients commit suicide' would 'fundamentally change the relationship between a doctor and patient, since GPs are currently under a duty to protect and preserve the lives of patients' (with only 23% disagreeing)
If you are on social media, you can share graphics highlighting these figures, on Facebook (51%, 48%) and on Twitter (51%, 48%).
End of Life Care event in Cardiff
Supporters in Wales and the southwest of England may be interested in an event being hosted in Cardiff next month by the Learned Society of Wales. Professor the Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, an internationally renowned expert in palliative medicine, will draw on her decades of experience caring for thousands of people in Wales to address how we a society cope with dying. More details on 'Dying in Today's World' can be found here.
Support
We continue to be grateful for all donations, both individual and regular. If you would like to support our work, which in the last week or so alone has included appearances in local and national media, the commissioning of national polling and efforts to bring the dangers of medical neutrality to a wider audience, please visit, or recommend to others, our donations page.
