Scottish politicians have been warned in opposition to legalizing assisted suicide as Holyrood prepares to scrutinize a invoice introduced ahead by Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur.
The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ailing Adults (Scotland) Act would make it authorized for terminally sick folks aged 16 and over in Scotland to be prescribed deadly medicine by docs to finish their lives.
Christian charity CARE for Scotland, in a submission to Holyrood's Well being Committee, mentioned the regulation was morally unacceptable.
The submission argues that the proposals would put weak folks at critical threat and could be “damaging” to the connection between docs and sufferers.
Written by CARE for Scotland political scientist Michael Veitch, he says well being professionals shouldn’t be concerned in serving to somebody finish their life and that assisted suicide shouldn’t be seen as “therapy”.
It says there isn’t any assure to forestall undue stress on somebody to finish their life by assisted suicide, and warns that not solely terminally sick folks, but additionally folks with disabilities and the aged “might really feel pressured to finish prematurely your life. to attitudinal boundaries and in addition to the dearth of applicable providers and help'.
“Our tenet is that we affirm the inherent worth of each human life – no matter age, bodily, psychological or emotional well being or incapacity,” the put up reads.
“A precept acknowledged through the pandemic when the aged and infirm had been prioritized for vaccination and safety.
“This precept is undermined by laws that enables the terminally sick to finish their lives. Doctor-assisted suicide and euthanasia are usually not personal acts.
“They embrace an individual who causes the dying of one other. The social implications of such a change within the regulation have critical implications.”
Mr Veitch additional warned that in areas the place assisted suicide was already in place, the unique safeguards had been later renamed “boundaries” and eliminated.
He additionally challenged the notion that assisted suicide is a painless and “straightforward different” to dwelling with a terminal sickness.
“Proof means that this isn’t the case for some people who expertise an extended dying and get up from a cocktail of medicine, which places sufferers, households and their docs in extraordinarily tough conditions,” he mentioned.
He said: “Supporting the medical path to ending human life undermines fundamental ethics; promotes the assumption that sure lives are not price dwelling; and radically adjustments the character of the doctor-patient relationship by undermining the Hippocratic Oath that we first “do nothing.” injury'.”
