Care Not Killing’s latest news roundup of news
at the end of life from its January/February
2013 newsletter
Legislation
Lord Falconer (pictured) has announced that he
will seek to introduce his DiD-backed assisted suicide bill in the House of
Lords in May. In line with the recommendations of his sham 'Commission
on Assisted Dying', Falconer will push for doctors to be empowered to
help mentally competent adults with less than one year to live to kill
themselves. New
figures from Oregon, whose laws are Falconer's inspiration, serve as a
grave warning of the consequences of enacting such legislation - especially
given that Oregon's laws are based on a more limited six-month prognosis.
The vast
range of different agendas within the pro-euthanasia movement would almost
certainly prompt incremental extension once the principle of assisted suicide
is established, and Falconer's so-called 'safeguards' are very similar to those
in the Joffe Bill which the Lords rejected in 2006.
As politicians begin to consider the upcoming debate, Lib
Dem peer Lord Carlile corrected
misconceptions regarding legalisation of assisted suicide - which the
Liberal Democrats support - as espoused by a party activist. The stakes could hardly be higher.
Liverpool Care Pathway
In the opening weeks of 2013, so-called 'financial
incentives' again became a focus for considerable concern. One of our member
organisations made a much
publicised call* for these to be scrapped and shortly afterwards, Care
Minister Norman Lamb pledged*
that payments would 'only be made if it could be demonstrated that it
improved the care of dying patients'.
MPs had the chance to debate concerns surrounding the LCP in
an 8 January Westminster Hall debate secured by Glyn
Davies MP* (video,
transcript).
A number of notable
contributions* were made, especially from Fiona
Bruce MP*, and training and communication emerged as key focuses for
improvement.
On 15 January, the Department of Health announced*
Baroness Neuberger as chair of Care Minister Norman Lamb's 'wide-ranging'
review of the LCP. Lady Neuberger, previously Liberal Democrat health
spokesperson in the House of Lords but a Crossbencher since becoming a senior
Rabbi, has worked with the King's Fund, and will be assisted by a panel
of experts. The review's work has begun, and they are accepting
submissions until 5 April.
GMC
The General Medical Council released long awaited guidance
on assisted suicide on 31 January, clarifying that doctors
may not assist, encourage or advise assisted suicide. Despite attempts by
DiD to 'spin' aspects of the documents, this was undoubtedly a good day for
patients and for the medical profession.
Belgian twins
The news*
that 45-year old Belgian twins Marc and Eddy Verbessem were euthanised after
discovering that they were going blind - having been deaf since birth - reverberated*
around the world in January. What this says about a legal mindset which
continues to move further away from talk of 'death with dignity' for the
terminally ill is deeply
disturbing.
Euthanasia Road Trip
Seeking answers to 'why a country passes such a law, how
they work in practise and whether my worries and concerns are justified',
actress and comedienne Liz Carr set out to visit the five nations where
euthanasia and assisted suicide are legal for a BBC World Service series.
Meeting with practitioners, patients, families and campaigners, she gained a
unique insight - but remained convinced that euthanasia and assisted suicide
are not right for the UK. Read her
introduction to When Assisted Death is Legal, or listen again.
Way to Go
On 16 January, BBC3 aired the first episode of
its newly commissioned comedy*, Way to Go. Starring
Inbetweeners favourite Blake Harrison, the series attracted controversy* for its subject matter: two
brothers, in financial straits, decide to set up an 'assisted suicide'
business. The show's creators described the black comedy as sensitive*,
but initial reviews claimed the show 'may
prove that some things just aren't funny'*. We at CNK wanted to give
the series a fair chance, initially publishing only criteria
for review. Having seen the six episodes, we were glad that the series
highlighted key dangers of assisted suicide, but overall concurred with initial
reviews: assisted
suicide is not a source for comedy. Thank you to all those who contacted us
regarding the series.
Amour
Michael Haneke's Amour, which caused concern
for its sympathetic portrayal of euthanasia, has enjoyed considerable success*
during the ongoing awards season, culminating in winning Best Foreign Language
Film at the Oscars. The film had, unusually for a foreign language film, been
nominated in a number of key Academy Award
categories*. What does this say about opinion formers in the world of
creative arts?
Jane Nicklinson
Jane Nicklinson, whose husband Tony died last year after
losing his high profile High Court bid, has been granted permission* to
challenge the ruling which refused those seeking to end their lives to do so
with medical assistance. 'Martin', whose case was heard in tandem with
Nicklinson's, is also appealing. We expect the cases to be heard in early May.
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