I read with interest the letter from Dr. Chula Goonasekera (November 18). I am also a doctor and have had a very fulfilling career. I agree that doctors are trained to save lives, but I fear we have never been better trained to recognize when a life cannot be saved, and the phrase ‘not officially trying to prolong life’ is the worth keeping in mind. The law is a very blunt instrument. Having seen many very unsatisfactory deaths over the years, I’m not at all sure that we’re always doing the right things at this point.
My second point is purely semantic. I very much agree that the use of the word terminal is problematic; to me it means the end is near (the proposed law defines almost as less than six months), but the term is increasingly used for incurable. Chris Hoy’s recent revelation about his own situation led to headlines along the lines of “his terminal cancer diagnosis”, but the articles I read mainly stated that he had been given four years to live.
I am not belittling his situation, but in this debate it is right to be pedantic about the terminology, as there will be some who would rightly say that the new law would include people like him. That can of course be the case, and this also applies to all other people in his situation.
Andy Thurston
RedbournHertfordshire
Because I have been a doctor for more than 40 years, I would like to put it another way: we help people come into the world and we must help them leave the world when necessary. We are creating multidisciplinary teams for cancer care, and could do so for end-of-life care, including lawyers, social workers and palliative care experts. Even gold standard palliative care can sometimes be inadequate.
Dennis Jackson
Glasgow
Dr. Goonasekera’s letter talks about someone with a terminal illness who chooses “comfort care” instead of assisted dying, allowing the disease to take its course. There is no comfort care available for someone like my husband, who died of early motor neurone disease. The disease did indeed take its course, but the suffering it caused in his last three weeks was unbearable, despite the great care provided by a hospice. It still haunts me, seven years later. Adults with capabilities should be able to make the choice to die. Life cannot be preserved at any cost, nor should it be.
Helen Keats
Brightstone, Isle of Wight