THE public strongly oppose the legalisation of assisted dying if it puts the vulnerable at risk, a survey has found.
In a blow to those who have been trying to ‘bully’ the House of Lords into rushing through the legislation, a Whitestone poll of more than 2,000 UK adults for Care Not Killing found overwhelming support – often exceeding 80 per cent – for a series of ‘iron-clad’ safeguards that are currently missing from the Bill.
Nearly nine in ten (86 per cent) of the public support additional protections for people with Down’s syndrome, autism and learning disabilities.
Eight in ten (83 per cent) agree that a psychiatric assessment and an extended period of reflection must be mandatory for any patient showing a ‘suicidal reaction’ to their diagnosis. This rises to 86 per cent among those with a disability.
Eight in ten (82 per cent) of voters, including 89 per cent of current Labour voters, want a mandatory consultation with a palliative care specialist before any decision can be made.
Three-quarters (76 per cent) of the public, including 82 per cent of Labour voters, believe the law must explicitly prohibit cases where there is a suspicion the patient feels motivated by poverty, lack of care, or a feeling of being a ‘burden’.
Six in ten (58 per cent) back the explicit exclusion of those with eating disorders or diabetes who refuse treatment.
Dr Gordon Macdonald, CEO of Care Not Killing, which promotes better palliative care, said: ‘The more the public hear about this Bill, the less inclined they are to support it. They reject the deeply flawed concept of choice when it puts patient safety at risk and back the need for robust safeguards within the Bill, which are currently missing. This is a clear rebuke to those who have been trying to bully and bounce the House of Lords into passing an unsafe Bill, that will pressure vulnerable people into ending their lives.’
One of the most striking findings is the public’s insistence that medical professionals should be barred from initiating conversations about assisted suicide. By 84 per cent to just 6 per cent, the public believe it should be mandatory for any discussion of ending a life to be initiated by the patient, rather than a GP or nurse. This demand for a ‘firewall’ between doctors and the procedure is highest among those most likely to be affected: the over-75s (91 per cent) and people with a disability (88 per cent).
The poll also found strong support (67 per cent to 13 per cent) for ‘stronger opt-outs’ for hospices and care homes, protecting them from institutional pressure to facilitate deaths on their premises.
Dr Macdonald concluded: ‘This poll is a wake-up call for those who continue to peddle the myth that the only thing that matters is “choice”. This is not the view of the British public, who are sending a clear message that if a law cannot guarantee the safety of the disabled, the poor and the elderly, it is not a safe law.
‘Voters across the political spectrum back the careful and detailed scrutiny of the House of Lords in ensuring the Bill contains rigorous psychiatric checks, mandatory palliative care consultations, and a total ban on doctors proactively suggesting death to their patients. Without these iron-clad safeguards, the public recognises that “choice” for some will inevitably become “coercion” for many. In short, the public prefer care not killing.’
Footnote: Kim Leadbeater’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill covering England and Wales is unlikely to pass all the necessary legislative stages in time to become law before the end of the parliamentary session which is expected in May. In Scotland MSPs vote for the final time on Tuesday on Liam McArthur’s Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill.
