Doctors, steer entirely clear

doi:10.1136/bmj.b3760

Published 14 September 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b3760
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b3760

Letters

Assisted dying debate

Doctors, steer entirely clear

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

Cumberlege urges doctors to steer clear of assisted suicideand preserve their place in society as a profession with a clearpurpose: to treat, cure, and care for sick and disabled people(to which I would add "and improve the health of the population").¹

If this is the right position for the medical profession, surelyit also follows that since this position is based on professionalself interest, society and the media should pay no attentionwhatsoever to our views on assisted suicide.

The medical profession would do well not just to steer clearof assisted suicide but to make it clear that it is not forus to influence the opinion of society at large.

If assisted suicide were ever to become legal then the positionof the medical profession should be to have nothing to do withit. Yet that does not mean that society cannot press ahead . . . [Full text of this article]

Christopher J Spencer Jones, director of public health¹

¹ NHS South Birmingham, Birmingham B13 8JL

Christopher.spencer-Jones@sky.com