UK Moves Ever Closer to Legalizing Doctor-Prescribed Death

A progression of events in UK is bringing the country closer to legalizing doctor-prescribed death. Just a few years ago, the House of Lords defeated a measure to legalize. Not able to accomplish legalization in Parliament, proponents have turned to other means. A highly-publicized lawsuit was successful in that prosecutors were ordered to publish non-prosecution guidelines. Two years ago, landmark guidelines were established essentially telling prosecutors they could use discretion in determining who should be prosecuted for assisting a death. Police still investigate cases, but there have been no prosecutions under the new guidelines.

Now an “independent” Commission on Assisted Dying (a term used and favored by proponents of doctor-prescribed death) has issued a one-sided, recommendation in favor of legalization. The Commission finds the situation which does not allow doctor-prescribed suicide “very distressing” for families, “uncertain” for health workers and a “deeply challenging burden” for police and prosecutors. The Commission recommends that legal death be available for patients who are at least 18-years old, are “terminally ill” and who have only 12 months to live. As with all measures supported by proponents, “safeguards” will be implemented to protect patients.

Here is the reality. Safeguards don’t work and are widely ignored in places where doctor-prescribed death is legal.

• In Oregon, almost all suicide deaths are facilitated by Compassion and Choices, the largest promoter of doctor-prescribed suicide. A report released in 2008 reveals that 26% of Oregon patients were depressed but were not offered the psychiatric evaluation required by law.
• Also in Oregon, Barbara Wagner was denied chemotherapy drugs under the Oregon Health Plan, but was offered prescribed death even though she didn’t ask for it.
• Most of the cases of British citizens traveling to Switzerland to be assisted with death did not involve terminally ill patients, but ones with disabilities. One family took their son who was quadriplegic to Switzerland to die. The woman who brought the lawsuit regarding prosecution guidelines isn’t terminally ill but has multiple sclerosis.
• Predicting the time of death as occurring in 12 months is an art form, rather than a predictable event. And, would the death occur with or without treatment?

The UK has a perfectly good law which makes assisting a death punishable by up to 14 years’ imprisonment. The non-prosecution guidelines essentially ignore the law. Outright legalization would leave patients in an even sorrier state where supposed safeguards are ignored, and those who would benefit financially from a patient’s death have extra incentives to ensure that death occurs sooner rather than later.

Barbara Lyons