Terminally ill people will be enormously relieved that the
distinguished QC, Lord Carlile, feels able to reassure them that any fears
they may have that they will die
` badly ` are usually groundless. However his colleague, Baroness Finlay,
the equally distinguished palliative consultant, found it appropriate to
write in the BMJ* when the Joffe assisted dying bill was being debated
that ` educational programmes etc consistently find GPs and hospital
consultants are poor at controlling symptoms and relieving suffering....`
and ` many clinicians have seen suffering patients who they have been
unable to help.` As a member of the Select Committee considering Lord
Joffe`s Assisted Dying Bill he should also have long been aware that
Dignitas in Zurich have always offered assisted deaths both to the
terminally-ill and those suffering unbearably. When he is himself
terminally-ill it appears that there will be no physical or financial
burden that he will not be prepared to impose upon his family and friends
as well as wider society.
Rapid Response:
And the law`s consequences more cruel
Terminally ill people will be enormously relieved that the
distinguished QC, Lord Carlile, feels able to reassure them that any fears
they may have that they will die
` badly ` are usually groundless. However his colleague, Baroness Finlay,
the equally distinguished palliative consultant, found it appropriate to
write in the BMJ* when the Joffe assisted dying bill was being debated
that ` educational programmes etc consistently find GPs and hospital
consultants are poor at controlling symptoms and relieving suffering....`
and ` many clinicians have seen suffering patients who they have been
unable to help.` As a member of the Select Committee considering Lord
Joffe`s Assisted Dying Bill he should also have long been aware that
Dignitas in Zurich have always offered assisted deaths both to the
terminally-ill and those suffering unbearably. When he is himself
terminally-ill it appears that there will be no physical or financial
burden that he will not be prepared to impose upon his family and friends
as well as wider society.
* 24/9/05 Vol 331
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests