Right to die debate in House of Lords today

[Wackie Jeaver]

Apols if there is already a thread, I did search but couldn't find anything.

The House of Lords is today debating a new bill to allow those diagnosed terminally ill with six months or less left to live the right to assisted dying.

I am 100% in favour; they have it in other countries and it doesnt seem to be abused. However I wonder if it goes far enough... my mother wanted to die a good two years before she did, and eventually had a horrible death in hospital, which the hospital didnt expect. You wouldn't allow a dog to go through what she suffered particularly in the last five months - in fact you'd be prosecuted, quite rightly.

My body, my life, my right to choose when I've had enough.

What do you all think?

 

[BettyCrockerr]

Agree with you absolutely 100%

 

[Eureka]

My dog died a few years back of cancer and had to be put to sleep. It happened at Christmas so worst possible timing. I asked the vet if we could dose him up with pain killers to keep him home until New Years and he told me it would be too cruel to keep him going and he was absolutely right. But yet we do that to people. I watched my dad die of cancer and suffer terribly in his last few weeks. It’s inhuman to force people to live when they don’t want to and can’t take matters into their own hands.

 

[Purrrrrrr]

I have always thought people should be able to choose when to die. I feel many commit suicide long before they need to because they feel they will lose the ability to be able to do it at a later date.. But now I'm conflicted with what is going on in the world right now. I would say I am a valuable member of society and I look after three of my grandchildren while parents work and have done since they were born. I was sent a DNR form and asked my wishes should I become very ill. Also, I was told I would not be given care if I got covid because of my age and my disabilities.
That has made me very wary of what they "Might" do with anything like this. For myself No I would not want to live if my quality of life had declined and I have the ways and means to do it myself and will but like others before me and like I previously said it will proberbly be sooner than I wanted in case my health deteriorated to a point that I could no longer do it myself

 

[kittenattack]

I am very much hoping that this becomes law. One of the reasons I left a 30 year nursing career was because of the terrible lack of decent palliative care, people being forced to remain alive for way too long and lack of choice for the patient. I've seen some truly awful cases and I eventually burnt out because I just didn't agree with the practises any more. I loved my job, but I trained to be a nurse in order to relieve pain and suffering, not cause and prolong it.

 

[Lizzie Mintdrop]

I'm 100% in favour of the right to die at a time of your own choosing, for whatever reason.

 

[Moe]

Truly sad to hear about Frank Field and his terminal illness. He is the MP I have always admired the most. He worked tirelessly for people and I always wished he had been leader of the Labour Party. He should have been instead we got the career politicians. We know who they all are.
Wonderful kind intelligent caring man.

 

[monga]

This is something we were taught in my catholic school in the mid 2000s and why euthanasia was a bad idea (alongside the fact that pregnancy through rape wasn;t possible as you wouldn't be relaxed)

We were taught abortion /suicide was a sin but nothing about conception through rape that's shocking they'd say that to a child ,there was one nun at our school and I swear my avatar is her true representation ,she was evil ,I couldn't believe a few years ago i saw her featured in the press for her outstanding work in the United Nations helping the kids,either she's had a personality transplant or those kids are suffering at her hands .

 

[Little_Red_Rides]

One of my biggest fears is being trapped in a body that doesn’t work, in pain, without any quality of life but with a brain conscious and working.

It should totally be down to the individual - their body and therefore their right. I honestly think it’s archaic that we allow animals the honour of dying when it’s time but not humans. There obviously needs to be some safeguarding in place but I’d argue if other countries can do this successfully why couldn’t the UK?

 

[Merpedy]

I think the idea of it being abused is… idk a bit of a panic. I have no doubt that this would be governed very strictly and you’d require a fair amount of proof that your condition is bad and that you’re making the choice voluntarily and without influence from family etc

I think it’s Great Osmond Street Hospital that requires the court to agree whenever the doctors decide that treatment is unlikely to work (or doesn’t work) and they should move on to palliative care. It’s not a decision that is taken lightly

 

[Eureka]

Completely agree. I fully support bodily autonomy which has to include the right to end it. It seems very unfair that people who aren’t able bodied are left to suffer while those who have the ability to end things can.

 

[Wackie Jeaver]

My mother had an appalling death over 5 months. In the 4th month, my brother and I asked that she should not be treated if she developed eg pneumonia (which was very likely as she was completely immobile by then). We were told of course they would treat her as she was not ill per se, despite being completely immobile, in extreme pain due to a fracture they could not immobilise, and developing UTIs as well as dementia - brought on we think by pain and fear. After she died, from pneumonia which no one knew she had apparently - obs normal at midnight, dead by 1am (wtf?) we complained to the hospital and now the Parliamentary Ombudsman is taking up our case.

She'd wanted to die for years... and yet when it came to the end no one apparently knew? It was fucking awful, and you wouldnt let it happen to a dog or cat, why is it ok for people to die like this?

 

[Notgonnalie]

I feel conflicted if I’m totally honest. I’m not sure how comfortable I am with it.

My faith leads me to feel that only God will take me when my time is up. On the flip side of that, I do feel strongly that life should be about quality and not quantity; making the days count rather than counting the days. Obviously if one is suffering tremendously they don’t have any such life left.

My grandmother remarried and her husband was involved in a motorbike accident which led him to have a brain aneurysm, he suffered very severe brain damage and his life for the remaining years of his life were really tough on all of us but especially my grandmother. She talked often about how she lost him twice. I know if he had of been able to have an assisted death it would have saved so many years of heartache, pain and misery. It was so tragic to witness a man go from being the most spontaneous romantic, hard working, always thinking outside the box gentleman to someone who was confined to a bed and everytime he was awake he didn’t know where he was or who was around him.

So I guess on that note I feel perhaps it should be an option, because not everyone shares my religion and those who do practice don’t have to avail of it, but importantly those who do want to avail of it have access. I feel there should be a very particular criteria met for it though. So that anyone who has the potential to lead a fuller life is supported in that and not able to decide to just flick the switch.

 

[monga]

I think it's a shame that those that decided on euthanasia in the past had to travel abroad for it to happen, when all they probably wanted was to die in their own bed surrounded by loved ones but that's not the final wish they got instead it was a strange bed in a strange country surrounded by strangers it must be doubly hard on their families in that instance.

 

[Wackie Jeaver]

I can imagine nothing worse than being trapped in a declining body (MS. MND). declining mind (any form of dementia) or painful terminal illness which also removes your dignity/autonomy (most cancers) than having to reliant on rather erratic palliative care. There is a whole other debate about hospice funding, which is mostly charity reliant...

 

[Lizzie Mintdrop]

Why would anyone think that disabled people, who have a happy life and are not suffering with a serious mental illness are going to be pressured into assisted suicide? As far as I'm aware, the proposals are that you need to be terminally I'll in order to be considered for assistance.

It would be very cold hearted people who could pressure a disabled person into this and in any case, if a disabled person is being pressured, they should be entitled to support to get away from those people.

Are there any cases, where assisted suicide is legal, of disabled people being pressured into it?

 

[Lizzie Mintdrop]

Yes I agree it should be discussed BUT what about the logistics/practicality?
Who will actually assist those who want to end their life?
Who will and how will these people be trained?
I wouldn't really want to do this job without 100% backing I wouldn't later down the line be held accountable and end up in prison.
Where will it happen? Will there be a specific house?
If the government are to over see it then they will have a duty of care to the relatives.
Legally it's a minefield.

The reality means it would take decades to implement.

I would imagine it would be similar to Dignitas and the staff who work it would choose to work there so would feel that the right to die was important.

If the law states that people have the right to die and it is signed off by professionals, I don't see why anyone carrying out assisted suicide would be held accountable for it in the future.

This law already exists in The Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Belgium and several US states, it's certainly not untested.

 

[Purrrrrrr]

In other countries, it started off as only the terminal ill but then changed to include those with mental health problems I don't trust this country enough at this moment in time to keep to the guidelines. Look at how many were given DNR orders and family members were horrified including my own.


My sister was dying of a brain tumour and when it got too much( the head pain) the GP gave her a huge dose of medication and she never woke up again. I know my sister's GP isn't the only one who helps people pass painlessly. But one thing is for sure if I were terminal and in great pain, I would not want to be in a hospital having to wait for Drs to sign things etc. sympathetic GP all the way for me.

 

[judgejohndeed]

100% behind it. With appropriate safeguards it needn’t be abused. Its incredibly inhumane that we don’t have it already tbh, and discriminatory to those who can’t travel abroad.

 

[Eureka]

I’m sure there are many doctors and nursing staff who hate the status quo and would offer this service.