Care Not Killing responds to RCGP decision to adopt neutral position on Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia

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The Royal College of General Practitioners' (RCGP) has decided to adopt a neutral position on Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia.

Dr Gordon Macdonald, CEO of Care Not Killing described the decision as disappointing, but unsurprising. He commented: "This is disappointing, but unsurprising as doctors' groups continue to wrestle with how to respond to multiple attempts to introduce assisted suicide and euthanasia in the UK. It also shines a light on the growing divide between those doctors who treat terminally ill patients and those who don't. When the British Medical Association published a break down on which doctors supported neutrality, specialisms such as palliative and oncology remained resolutely opposed, while others such as Occupational Health and Child and Adolescent Mental Health were overwhelmingly in favour."

He continued: "It is also important to stress that neutrality, doesn't mean support and that this decision was taken without consulting its members, who have previously rejected going neutral and that zero (0) per cent of the Council supported a change in the law. Indeed, most doctors we speak to are deeply concerned at what they have seen going on in Parliament, with key safeguards being removed from the Assisted Dying Bill, while additional measures to protect those who could be coerced into their lives prematurely, or with conditions such as Downs Syndrome or eating disorders such as anorexia, have been rejected by those pursuing an ideological agenda to allow the state sanctioned suicide.

Dr Macdonald concluded: "At a time when we have seen how fragile our health care system is, how the hospice movement has a £150 million blackhole in its budget, and when up to one in four Brits who would benefit from palliative care but aren't currently receiving it, this should be the focus of our attention, rather than discussing a dangerous policy - A view that seemed to be shared by Parliament's Health and Social Care Committee 2024 Report, which did not recommend changing the law, but did recommend trying to fix the UK's broken and patchy palliative care system so everyone can have a dignified death."

Care Not Killing is a UK-based alliance bringing together over 40 organisations - human rights and disability rights organisations, health care and palliative care groups, faith-based organisations groups - and thousands of concerned individuals.

We have three key aims:

to promote more and better palliative care;
to ensure that existing laws against euthanasia and assisted suicide are not weakened or repealed;
to inform public opinion further against any weakening of the law.

LINKS

For more information see Care Not Killing: www.carenotkilling.org.uk/

If you would like to talk with someone about issues raised in this article, the Samaritans are available 24 hours a day. Call free on 116 123 or visit: www.samaritans.org