BMJ  2005;331 (24 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7518.0-d

Assisted dying: the debate goes on

A cluster of articles presents various opinions about assisted dying, which will be debated next month in the House of Lords. Branthwaite (p 681) argues that people who want assisted suicide should have the same rights as patients who can end their lives by refusing life sustaining treatment. George and colleagues (p 684) say that legalised euthanasia would leave vulnerable groups open to therapeutic killing without consent. Sommerville (p 686) says that the BMA has adopted a neutral policy to allow parliament to decide. Tännsjö (p 689) presents three moral outlooks and concludes that permitting euthanasia in limited circumstances seems the most beneficial approach. And a Dutch group reflects on a deade of monitoring euthanasia in the Netherlands (p 691).

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Relevant Articles

Time for change

M A Branthwaite
BMJ 2005 331: 681-683. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Legalised euthanasia will violate the rights of vulnerable patients

R J D George, I G Finlay, and David Jeffrey
BMJ 2005 331: 684-685. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Changes in BMA policy on assisted dying

Ann Sommerville
BMJ 2005 331: 686-688. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Moral dimensions

Torbjörn Tännsjö
BMJ 2005 331: 689-691. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Dutch experience of monitoring euthanasia

Bregje D Onwuteaka-Philipsen, Agnes van der Heide, Martien T Muller, Mette Rurup, Judith A C Rietjens, Jean-Jacques Georges, Astrid M Vrakking, Jacqueline M Cuperus-Bosma, Gerrit van der Wal, and Paul J van der Maas
BMJ 2005 331: 691-693. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Letter

Peter F Doherty
bmj.com, 25 Sep 2005 [Full text]

Re: Time to legalise assisted dying?

Patricia W Daymond
bmj.com, 30 Sep 2005 [Full text]

Concern re risks to the vulnerable

Angus Goudie
bmj.com, 7 Oct 2005 [Full text]

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