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The evidence suggests that those who contemplate an assisted death are well aware of the wishes of their friends and relatives. They take these views into account before making a decision. Indeed sometimes they decide not to go ahead because of the distress it would cause their nearest and dearest. But if they choose to go ahead because of their own suffering that they regard as intolerable, they surely have the right to expect that those near to them will understand and accept that decision.
Depression is indeed sometimes difficult to diagnose in terminally ill patients, because of the overlap in symptoms. Dying people who are not depressed may lose appetite, sleep poorly and lack energy. But in most cases it is plainly obvious that the patient with a terminal illness contemplating an assisted death is competent to make the decision, understands its implications as well as the other options that are open. The relatively low figures of psychiatric referrals in Oregon reflect the fact that doctors screen out ineligible patients. In a small number of cases doctors call on the expertise of psychiatric professionals to help assess patients, the Falconer Bill would also strongly encourage this practice.
Yet the Falconer Bill differs from the law in Oregon as it states that ‘an assisting health professional must remain with the person until the person has –
a) self-administered the medicine and died; or
b) decided not to self-administer the medicine
Some patients will prefer to have a nurse whom they know well to be with them, while others will want their doctor to be present.
Competing interests:
Vice-Chair of Dignity in Dying, steering committee member of Healthcare Professionals for Assisted Dying (HPAD)
Re: No man is an island
The evidence suggests that those who contemplate an assisted death are well aware of the wishes of their friends and relatives. They take these views into account before making a decision. Indeed sometimes they decide not to go ahead because of the distress it would cause their nearest and dearest. But if they choose to go ahead because of their own suffering that they regard as intolerable, they surely have the right to expect that those near to them will understand and accept that decision.
Depression is indeed sometimes difficult to diagnose in terminally ill patients, because of the overlap in symptoms. Dying people who are not depressed may lose appetite, sleep poorly and lack energy. But in most cases it is plainly obvious that the patient with a terminal illness contemplating an assisted death is competent to make the decision, understands its implications as well as the other options that are open. The relatively low figures of psychiatric referrals in Oregon reflect the fact that doctors screen out ineligible patients. In a small number of cases doctors call on the expertise of psychiatric professionals to help assess patients, the Falconer Bill would also strongly encourage this practice.
Yet the Falconer Bill differs from the law in Oregon as it states that ‘an assisting health professional must remain with the person until the person has –
a) self-administered the medicine and died; or
b) decided not to self-administer the medicine
Some patients will prefer to have a nurse whom they know well to be with them, while others will want their doctor to be present.
Competing interests: Vice-Chair of Dignity in Dying, steering committee member of Healthcare Professionals for Assisted Dying (HPAD)