Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

Letters BMA stance on assisted dying

Assisted dying: we need universal access to palliative care first

BMJ 2019; 366 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l4743 (Published 22 July 2019) Cite this as: BMJ 2019;366:l4743

Rapid Response:

Re: Assisted dying: we need universal access to palliative care first

In responding to the motion I proposed at the BMA’s ARM, requiring the BMA to conduct a survey of its members on assisted dying, Simon Etkind makes the important point that every person should have access to the very best care at all stages of their life. However he misses an equally important point - that even with the best care available to everyone over 5,000 people a year will die with unrelieved symptoms.

Thus conflating demands for universal access to palliative care and the medical profession’s approach to assisted dying legislation is unhelpful because they are two separate issues. Of course we must work to make sure that the best end of life care is available to all, but we must not neglect those whose symptoms will not be relieved even when best care is available.

I have heard many Parliamentarians cite the inequity of care provision while putting forward their objections to proposed assisted dying legislation, so I do not believe this argument is neglected. In fact, it has always struck me as misleading that some MPs are keen to stress the need for improved access to palliative care in debates on assisted dying, yet seem unwilling to take action to address that need once the spotlight of said debates has been removed. I can see how such behaviour must be immensely frustrating for those working to improve access to palliative care, but I do not accept the remedy is to deny dying people who sit beyond the reach of palliative care the option of a peaceful death.

Competing interests: Chair HPAD Board member Dignity in Dying

25 July 2019
Jacky Davis
Radiologist
London