BMJ  2003;327:52 (5 July), doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7405.52

Letter

Assisted suicide and euthanasia in Switzerland

Doctors should keep out of it

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—Hurst and Mauron debate the role of non-physicians in assisted suicide and euthanasia in Switzerland.1 There is absolutely no reason why doctors should participate in the mechanics of assisted suicide. Medical input should be limited to providing all available treatment, confirming diagnosis, and counselling patients on the prognosis of their condition. If the patient then decides that he or she wants to die the doctor's role is over. When the underlying reason for the request for release is not related to illness, there would be no reason for any medical involvement at all.

If society decides that it wants this service to be available, then society must set up the apparatus and provide the staffing. Anyone can be trained to administer a lethal injection—hospitals are full of highly competent non-medical phlebotomists—and there is no need to involve doctors.

Of course, politicians will have to devise a watertight consent . . . [Full text of this article]

Bob Bury, consultant radiologist

Leeds General Infirmary LS8 2JX bob.bury@doctors.org.uk


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Relevant Article

Assisted suicide and euthanasia in Switzerland: allowing a role for non-physicians
Samia A Hurst and Alex Mauron
BMJ 2003 326: 271-273. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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