The Association for Palliative Medicine (APM) resources relating to doctor’s involvement in actively and intentionally ending life (variously called ‘Assisted Suicide’, ‘Assisted Dying’, ‘Aid in Dying’, and Euthanasia’)
This APM resource exists to inform, guide and enable our members and others to develop or refine their professional opinions and positions on doctor’s involvement in actively and intentionally ending life. It is focussed on the impact on doctors of changes in legislation in this area.
Parliamentary Bills are regularly presented before the different legislatures of Great Britain and The Republic of Ireland that seek to legalise the involvement of doctors in assisting suicide and, most recently, in administering euthanasia (the Dying with Dignity Bill 2020 [No.19.1 of 2020] at the Dáil in the Republic of Ireland).
Were such Bills to become Law in the Great Britain and Ireland, the effect upon the practice of medicine, and palliative medicine in particular, would be profound because they introduce a new duty of care for doctors, in some circumstances, to end the life of some of their patients.
This subject is core to any clinician practicing Supportive, Palliative and End of Life Care and is relevant to all doctors practicing at the bedside, not just those who specialise in Palliative Medicine. Those interested members of the public and other professions may also find resources and information here to aid their discussions and thinking.
The APM does not accept that ending life should be a duty of care for doctors.
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- Surveys of Palliative Medicine clinicians’ views about Assisted Dying (2015)
- APM responses to proposed changes in legislation within Great Britain and Ireland
- Additional Resources
- The APM position statement on a doctor’s involvement in actions intended to end life (Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia)
Surveys of Palliative Medicine Clinicians’ views about Assisted Dying (2015)
Royal College of Physicians – stratified for palliative medicine – 84.3% oppose a change in the law, and 84.4% were not prepared to actively participate in physician assisted suicide.
View survey here
British Medical Associations – stratified for palliative medicine – 84% would not be willing to actively participate in the process of administrating life-ending drugs
View survey here
Learn more about what motivates us to advocate for our members
APM responses to proposed changes in legislation within the UK and Ireland
The APM has submitted responses to the following
Response to Baroness Meacher’s Assisted Dying Bill, UK Parliament
Response to McArthur Bill, Scottish Parliament (via their structured, online submission)
Submission to Assisted dying in Jersey Consultation (via their structured online submission)
Evidence submission to Health Select Committee Enquiry into Assisted Dying, UK Parliament
Other Resources
Draft MP Template Letter
Draft letter for MSP for Scottish members
View the AD Media resource repository here
‘The Reality of Assisted Dying: Understanding the issues’.
Authors: Julian C Hughes and Ilora G. Finlay
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