YOU recently publicised the support of a small group of doctors for Margo MacDonald's Assisted Suicide Bill, implying that there was substantial backing for this within our profes­sion ("Doctors reveal backing for assisted suicide legislation", The Herald, March 10).

Ms MacDonald subse­quently claimed, based on "her own conversations" that most doctors are in favour of assisted suicide.

The facts demonstrate that she has got it seriously wrong. There is established evidence from careful research that the majority of UK doctors (up to 94% in some specialities) are opposed to assisted suicide, a position endorsed by the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the British Medical Association, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Association for Palliative Medicine, and the British Geriatrics Society.

We are senior clinicians who are part of the overwhelming majority of doctors who are opposed to assisted suicide, because we consider it unethical and unsafe. There are plenty more like us.

Dr Stephen Hutchison (consultant), Highland Hospice,

Bishops Road, Inverness and 43 other consultants, GPs and specialists.