Scottish palliative care group hits out at assisted suicide bill

A group representing palliative carers has criticised assisted suicide proposals lodged in the Scottish Parliament.

The Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care (SPPC) warns a law allowing terminally ill adults to access lethal drugs would be incrementally extended to allow other, vulnerable groups to end their lives through assisted suicide, including people with mental health conditions:

"[The] proposed Bill would be followed at a future point by a broadening of eligibility. Having established the right to assisted dying for some parts of the population, it becomes difficult to deny that right to other parts of the population."

The SPPC also attacked the ‘alarmist’ language of the controversial Bill at Holyrood, saying it is "unhelpful to public understanding":

"The term 'assisted dying' is non-specific, confusing and doesn’t reflect defining characteristics of the practice which differentiates it from palliative and end of life care (i.e. the choice to purposely shorten life and to control the timing of death)."

"Unfortunately public confusion and fear can be further exacerbated when advocates for assisted dying present the issue as a binary choice between assisted dying or an agonising death."

"[The Bill should] use alternative wording which is less likely to perpetuate and amplify public confusion and fear, and which accurately and clearly reflects the scope and intent of the legislation".

And it warned that doctors, pharmacists and others risk being compelled to participate in assisted suicide unless a "clear and robust process" is designed. This is missing in the current proposals:

"Conscientious objection and professional regulation arrangements to support practitioners who have a conscientious objection to participation in the assisted dying process need to be very clear and robust."

"Similarly, there would be a need for very clear guidance from the General Medical Council, General Pharmaceutical Council and Nursing and Midwifery Council in regulating practice including investigation of complaints. This would require guidance specific to the Scottish legal position."

Last night, Dr Gordon Macdonald, chief executive of Care Not Killing, which opposes the Bill, said: "We welcome this criticism of Liam McArthur’s proposal… His proposal has not been thought through."

A Scottish Government spokesman said it is "committed to ensuring everyone has dignity and respect at the end of their life and will respond to the substance of this Bill at the appropriate time."