Euthanasia need to be considered in UK?

[Colonel_Klinck]

Not the lords this time although a handful were responsible for a thousand amendments to filibuster the last bill. Sadly the house of commons lost their nerve and we are the poorer for it. False concern for the vulnerable, the disabled and people of colour were raised as reasons to deny the vast majority the right to a legal assisted death in conditions of extremis. We all know that palliative care will never be good enough to cope and that many people will have a bad death unless helped on their way by a caring doctor or nurse if they are lucky enough.

Ah I thought this was still the same bill that the Lords ruined.

I saw a friend go by lung cancer. His best mate gave up work for a few months to look after him so he could die at home. You get (or at least you did 15 years ago) a far more relaxed drug regime if its palliative at home. There was no shortage of powerful opioids but he still suffered, he looked like someone out of a concentration camp at the end. Absolutely brutal and so unnecessary. He could have gone on his own terms earlier and not had to suffer all that pain and indignity.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Yeah, they dropped the ball. This parliament is less brave and representative than the last one.

Disgustingly, 94 MPs abstained from the vote. Apparently, it was deliberately scheduled for a Friday afternoon so that the less committed MPs would not be present to vote for it (having already headed back to their constituencies for the weekend). A typical establishment stitch-up.

 

[413x]

Not much I care more about at a personal level than this.

Its probably been held back by fear of change, religion and just UK being stuck.

70ish percent of the UK want it. And yet it doesn't get through.

Its stuff like this that just makes the cynicism grow in me. It's so personal to a lot of people.
This "slippery slope" nonsense and "palliative care should be better".

1, if we stopped doing anything due to "slippery slope" arguments we'd still be living in caves.

2, palliative care isn't going to get better when no one wants to pay more tax.. And even the best palliative care isn't enough.

I hate this about the UK:
Voters : "palliative care needs better funding"
Left politicians : "guys we need to pay more tax for better palliative care"
Also voters : "I don't want to pay more tax".

 

[Maple Leaf]

I hate this about the UK:
Voters : "palliative care needs better funding"
Left politicians : "guys we need to pay more tax for better palliative care"
Also voters : "I don't want to pay more tax".

The thing about palliative care is that it's never been a priority for the British establishment. I was shocked to find out that the NHS only pays 15% of the budget of our local hospice, where my father died of cancer at the age of 55. The rest of their budget is covered by charitable donations, so I've been making monthly donations to them for the last 15 years.

This idea that the government is suddenly going to find billions of pounds extra to properly fund palliative care because they struck down the assisted dying route is pie-in-the-sky. It's very disingenuous to put that forward as a realistic solution.