Frances Ryan is right when she says that the assisted dying debate is much more nuanced than it seems (I’m glad the assisted dying debate continues to progress. But few understand why it terrifies so many, February 29). The initial problem is that dying is a quintessentially British muddle, stuck between outdated legal assumptions about healthcare and modern prudishness about death. Patching this further is not enough.
I’m running out of options in my eight-year struggle with breast cancer, and I dream of a good death. But this is what I have to hand over: a will, but by then I’ll be safely dead. Two powers of attorney are also legally essential, but why two? A letter of wishes may accompany my will to assist my executors with issues such as funeral plans, but it has limited legal status. I’m not sure how preferred priorities for a care plan align with the welfare power of attorney or letter of wishes. Then there is the prior decision to refuse treatment, and perhaps this includes the do-not-resuscitate announcement. I plan to discuss this with my family and my care team.
You already need a lawyer to have a chance at a nice death. If assisted dying is introduced without clear thinking and without properly resourced systems, we will end up with many tragedies, regardless of the good intentions of those on either side of the debate.
Davida Hamilton
Either, West Yorkshire
Frances Ryan’s point that “it is difficult to trust the state to help marginalized people die if it fails to support them to live,” will strike a resounding chord with all families caring for someone with a disability. That human life is precious because it is the human forms that form the basis of our laws and our legal system. Some of us have that understanding from a faith perspective, others don’t. However, it is at the heart of this discussion.
Passing assisted dying law in Britain could perhaps bring a sense of peace to some who are understandably very fearful of the dying process, and would likely be a good financial option for the country. However, I have learned not to trust the state to take good care of marginalized people in their lifetimes, and I certainly don’t want the state to ultimately act as God.
Clare Peck
Sheffield
Frances Ryan writes that assisted dying advocates say there will be “safeguards” to protect the elderly and disabled from abuse and coercion, but such safeguards can still enable solutions to some of the major problems facing our society, including the provision of social care and health financing.
Many older people fear ‘being a burden’, but if assisted dying becomes not only socially acceptable, but also expected (subtly, over time), they may come to believe – without any coercion – that they should not be a burden and should strive for a solution. readily available solution. Even lonely people, who feel that they “might as well die,” could easily be convinced that they should do so. After all, old age is a terminal illness, right? Not only would they no longer be a cost to the state, but the funding currently going to research into things like Alzheimer’s disease or chronic pain treatment could be diverted to some of the government’s pet projects. Certainly to the benefit of all reasonable people!
I wrote this letter in my head at half past four this morning when for some reason – perhaps because I will soon be considered old myself – I couldn’t sleep. But when I turned on the radio, I heard the news of Iris Apfel’s death at the age of 102. She said that if God was kind enough to give you extra years, you should enjoy them. That attitude would certainly undermine my “modest proposal”.
Cate Gunn
Colne Engaine, Essex
Thanks to Frances Ryan for her balanced article on assisted dying. Unrepresentative bias exists when celebrities like Esther Rantzen have easy access to the media, while no “celebrities” are consulted to provide an alternative point of view.
Frances rightly highlights the scandal that hospice care is largely dependent on charitable donations. Fully funded, high-quality palliative care available to everyone at their time of need is surely a better answer than the quick fix of assisted death. People, no matter how close they are to the end of their lives, are not pets to be put down. A good death must be fully articulated and made available to all.
Rev. Roger Chamberlain
Birmingham
Your article on the health and social care committee report on assisted suicide and euthanasia states: “Polls have shown that between 73% and 84% of the population support legalization within strict guidelines.” warn, February 29).
But most people don’t realize that “assisted dying” means taking large amounts of lethal drugs, which data from the US state of Oregon shows, have significant complications, with some failures. With a lethal injection (euthanasia) you stop breathing and die from asphyxiation.
The report rightly states that we need clear terminology and honest, open conversations about dying and death. People need mental health care when they receive a devastating diagnosis, and specialist palliative care must be available wherever they are in the country.
Ilora Finlay
House of Representatives