A new report [1] from the UK Parliament’s Health and Social Care committee has not recommended any change [2] to country’s law against assisted suicide. It heard about a litany of problems [3] in jurisdictions that have legalised the practice as well as claims in favour of it.
The report notes that, among members of the British Medical Association, those more likely to be opposed to a change were those who worked in specialities that dealt directly with patients at the end of their lives.
The report quotes from a number of witnesses who discuss the manner in which the legalisation of assisted suicide distorts the doctor-patient relationship.
It noted financial concerns that can lead people to want to end their lives prematurely as well as other non-medical concerns such as loneliness, which can influence a person’s decision.
The report noted concerns from disability rights groups and people with disabilities who suggested assisted suicide “reinforce[s] the damaging notion that disabled lives are not worth living.”