Assisted suicide and euthanasia should not rely on clinical guesswork
As a (now retired) oncologist, who practised for more than 30 years, I am surprised and very concerned that the commission established and funded by a pro-assisted suicide lobby group has recommended that the law be changed for those who, among other criteria, have an incurable illness and appear to have less than a year to live ("Give terminally ill right to die, report urges MPs", The Herald, January 5).
I hope they will find doctors far more capable than I have been (and those oncologists who examined Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi) at this imprecise exercise of guessing when someone may die. Their recommendations rely heavily on the ability of two doctors to agree on this difficult question. Doctors do attempt it and there are countless anecdotes from patients and relatives to attest to just how inaccurate this so often is – in both directions.
Assisted suicide and euthanasia should not rely on clinical guesswork
As a (now retired) oncologist, who practised for more than 30 years, I am surprised and very concerned that the commission established and funded by a pro-assisted suicide lobby group has recommended that the law be changed for those who, among other criteria, have an incurable illness and appear to have less than a year to live ("Give terminally ill right to die, report urges MPs", The Herald, January 5).
I hope they will find doctors far more capable than I have been (and those oncologists who examined Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi) at this imprecise exercise of guessing when someone may die. Their recommendations rely heavily on the ability of two doctors to agree on this difficult question. Doctors do attempt it and there are countless anecdotes from patients and relatives to attest to just how inaccurate this so often is – in both directions.
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Don't show me this again.