Our professional bodies should stop opposing assisted dying
BMJ 2012; 344 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e4115 (Published 13 June 2012) Cite this as: BMJ 2012;344:e4115
- Raymond Tallis, emeritus professor of geriatric medicine, University of Manchester and chair, Healthcare Professionals for Assisted Dying
- raymond{at}rtallis.wanadoo.co.uk
The BMA and some royal colleges are publicly opposed to legislation to permit assisted dying for terminally ill mentally competent adults (box). It is not the place here to rehearse what we, as members of Healthcare Professionals for Assisted Dying (HPAD), believe is the powerful case for such legislation, but rather to argue that the proper stance of our professional bodies should be one of neutrality.1 HPAD was founded by Ann McPherson and her friend Professor Joe Collier in 2010 to challenge the stance of the medical establishment.
Medical bodies’ stances on assisted dying
Opposed
BMA
Royal College of Physicians of London
Royal College of Surgeons of England
Royal College of General Practitioners
Association of Palliative Medicine
No position
General Medical Council
Royal College of Anaesthetists
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh
Neutral
Royal Society of Medicine
Royal College of Nursing
Royal College of Nursing Scotland
Royal College of Psychiatrists
At the heart of the …
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