Despite the change in public opinion, doctors in the UK remain divided over whether physician-assisted death should be legalized.
Some 48 per cent of doctors opposed legalizing euthanasia, while almost 45 per cent said they would support the change, a survey of 1,000 doctors by Doctors.net.uk found.
There were also concerns that the physician-assisted death law would have a negative impact on the medical profession, with 47 percent of doctors concerned about the impact on public opinion.
Doctor-assisted suicide is currently a criminal offense in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, a person who assists a suicide can be prosecuted for related offenses such as murder.
The two most popular reasons for opposing legalization were “protecting vulnerable people from the threat of coercion” and the fact that “the focus should be on improving palliative care”, while supporters cited a desire to “prevent suffering” and “provide dignity to patients”. . in her last days.”
Doctors were also asked to what extent they would be willing to participate in this process if euthanasia were legalized. Nearly six in 10 respondents (58 percent) said they would be happy to provide information or talk to a patient about it, while three in 10 were reluctant to do so. A minority of respondents said they would be willing to go further and prescribe or administer lethal drugs.
More than a quarter (26 percent) thought legalizing PAD would have a positive impact on the medical profession, but nearly half (47 percent) thought the opposite. One in ten (11 percent) believed the impact would be neutral, while 16 percent were unsure.
Opponents raised concerns about the risk of loss of trust between doctors and patients, conflict with colleagues, increased administrative burdens and a change in the ethos of medicine. One doctor simply said it would “end the NHS”.
However, supporting doctors warned that medicine was “increasingly moving away from public opinion” and that its job should be to “prevent suffering” and “give patients some control”.
The findings come as a new law is soon to be proposed in Scotland, with supporters making a new attempt to bring the measure into force in the UK for the first time. A YouGov poll carried out by campaign group Dignity in Dying earlier this year found that 77 per cent of Scots supported the measure, while 12 per cent of respondents opposed it.
Meanwhile, Westminster’s Health and Social Care Committee is preparing to publish its findings. During the first evidence hearing earlier this year, MPs were told the Government needed to change the law on euthanasia so people were not “forced to choose between suicide, suffering or Switzerland”.
The British Medical Association took a neutral position on PAD at its annual meeting in September 2021. Two-thirds of Britons supported legalizing euthanasia, according to a poll published in August.
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.