An argument from Rebecca Bensted on a new Euthanasia bill in the UK.

The majority of doctors in the UK do not want euthanasia to be legalised. Such a step would have a profound effect on their relationships with patients. Doctors are committed to preserving life. Legalising euthanasia would run entirely contrary to the principles of the Hippocratic Oath. Modern advances in the care of the terminally ill mean that there is no need for patients to suffer uncontrolled physical pain or discomfort. The UK currently leads the world in the provision of hospice and palliative care. Doctors working in this area of palliative care are opposed to a change in the law. The need for this expertise and further advances in this area would be undermined by a system of legalised euthanasia.

So what can you do if you feel strongly about this issue?

1. You can PRAY for the continued protection of those in our society who are vulnerable, for wisdom for those making these decisions, and above all for the Lord's will to be done in this;

2. You can WRITE one or more letters! It is currently thought that the Committee of the House of Lords considering this issue are split in their thinking about the Bill. There will be no conclusions until some time in January 2005, but when their conclusions do come they will be key to shaping the future of legislation in this area. If you feel strongly about this I would urge you to write to the Chairman or an individual member of the committee expressing your opinion. This need not be a time-consuming exercise. Your letters will make a difference! Politicians know that one letter is representative of the views of between 200 and 1000 people who feel the same way but did not write.
To make maximum impact when writing letters I suggest you could include two of the following points, either in your own words or using the wording given:

• A physical act of killing a patient is in direct conflict with the Hippocratic oath and would adversely affect the doctor/patient relationship. In Holland (where euthanasia is legal) elderly patients are choosing to go to German hospitals, for fear of being killed in by Dutch doctors.
• The majority (61%) of doctors are opposed to euthanasia, and they are the ones who would have to perform it. Doctors working in palliative care (probably the most likely to receive requests for euthanasia) were 100% opposed to a change in the law.
• Although the public have sympathy for euthanasia requests, the majority of patient's are not in favour of euthanasia. One study shows that only 3.5% of patients dying of cancer were in favour.
• Euthanasia involves making a judgment on whether a life is worth living or not. If a doctor agrees to terminate a person's life he is agreeing that the life has no worth. ALL life should be valued equally, not judged by how 'useful' or 'dignified' it is.
• Once euthanasia is seen as a 'solution' to terminal illness, it is but a small step to making it a solution for many other problems. The latest news from Holland is that the lives of newborn babies are now being terminated. Parents who raise disabled children hear comments such as "Such a thing should have been given an injection".
• A right to die can soon become a duty to die. Since the legalisation of assisted suicide in Oregon the number of people who requested assisted suicide because they felt a burden to their families or carers raised from 12% in 1998 to 63% in 2000.
• In a time when hospitals are under-resourced there is a danger that doctors decisions will be affected by considerations of resources. The introduction of euthanasia may also adversely affect our palliative care and hospice movement.
• In Holland about 1000 patients are euthanised every year without their consent or request.
• Patients who request euthanasia are often doing so while they are depressed. After the commencement of treatment, including anti-depressives, they may well change their mind.
• It is notoriously difficult to accurately predict a patient's life expectancy. A patient who expects to die within the month may go on to live over a year, and in that period experience many happy times and put their affairs in order (including emotional and relational affairs).