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Luke Taylor's article on the recent legalization of assisted suicide in Columbia struck me by its apparent disconnect and concerning indifference shown by the Colombian government regarding the effects the changing of legislation would have on Healthcare professionals. He states that "medical professionals were left out of the judicial discussions" and that they were "never consulted" despite the fact the result of the legal change will "ultimately fall on doctors to carry out". This was quite shocking to read, and I feel reflects the current worrying approach in our society regarding the use of assisted suicide.
Currently, 80% of the general public supports the legalization of assisted suicide for patients with a terminal illness. This demonstrates an overwhelming feeling of support for the legal change in the UK. It also contrasts starkly with the opinion polls of all the UK Royal Colleges of medical professionals, which have all voted in the last five years on whether to change their stance on the legalization of assisted suicide, and only the Royal College of Physicians have changed that position to neutral from opposed. These contrasts even exist as you delve into interdisciplinary polls in medicine, with the trend showing the Medics who work in fields that relate closely to assisted suicide overwhelmingly feel opposed to a change in the law. Whereas doctors working in fields farther apart from assisted suicide are more likely to be in favour of changing the law to legalize assisted suicide.
I investigated this while I completed an Extended Project Qualification (“EPQ”) on assisted suicide. My research led me to interview doctors from different fields and compare their positions on the legalisation of assisted suicide. During this process, I interviewed physicians in palliative care, oncologists, GPs, and surgeons and then compared the results. They overwhelmingly correlated to the polls published in the BMJ, with palliative care doctors strongly agreeing with the statement "the law should not be changed to support assisted therapy for patients who are terminally ill". Whereas medics of other specialties such as GPs, neurologists and oncologists were far more likely to disagree with that statement and support a change in the law.
What does Columbia’s Assisted Dying Law change show us?
Dear Editor
Luke Taylor's article on the recent legalization of assisted suicide in Columbia struck me by its apparent disconnect and concerning indifference shown by the Colombian government regarding the effects the changing of legislation would have on Healthcare professionals. He states that "medical professionals were left out of the judicial discussions" and that they were "never consulted" despite the fact the result of the legal change will "ultimately fall on doctors to carry out". This was quite shocking to read, and I feel reflects the current worrying approach in our society regarding the use of assisted suicide.
Currently, 80% of the general public supports the legalization of assisted suicide for patients with a terminal illness. This demonstrates an overwhelming feeling of support for the legal change in the UK. It also contrasts starkly with the opinion polls of all the UK Royal Colleges of medical professionals, which have all voted in the last five years on whether to change their stance on the legalization of assisted suicide, and only the Royal College of Physicians have changed that position to neutral from opposed. These contrasts even exist as you delve into interdisciplinary polls in medicine, with the trend showing the Medics who work in fields that relate closely to assisted suicide overwhelmingly feel opposed to a change in the law. Whereas doctors working in fields farther apart from assisted suicide are more likely to be in favour of changing the law to legalize assisted suicide.
I investigated this while I completed an Extended Project Qualification (“EPQ”) on assisted suicide. My research led me to interview doctors from different fields and compare their positions on the legalisation of assisted suicide. During this process, I interviewed physicians in palliative care, oncologists, GPs, and surgeons and then compared the results. They overwhelmingly correlated to the polls published in the BMJ, with palliative care doctors strongly agreeing with the statement "the law should not be changed to support assisted therapy for patients who are terminally ill". Whereas medics of other specialties such as GPs, neurologists and oncologists were far more likely to disagree with that statement and support a change in the law.
Competing interests: No competing interests