Burnham

[farfromtheland]

If doctors who prescribe at the hospices can't be persuaded to get on board with it, they'll have to pay locum assisted dying doctors to do it. That does sound like a profitable gap in the market. Perhaps we'll eventually see assisted dying sold like funeral plans and Simply Cremation deals. Pay up front over 2 years and they'll sort it all out when the time comes.

Doesn't sound too far-fetched to me.
Pretty close to other areas of the health service.

 

[AuroraSaab]

As I'm now terminally ill (though not quite as terminally as Joanna Lumley) perhaps this gives my view some weight? An issue like this is a matter of conscience, and 'first do no harm' must also weigh heavily against public opinion in general. The most heard reason for opposing the bill as it stood is that palliative care is crap. No pressure then?


Whatever one's views on the representative nature of parliamentary democracy, the House of Common's committee was stacked. Committees tend to be stacked, and guess what? They eliminated High Court Judge scrutiny in favour of a committee.

I met with supporters of Leadbetter's bill outside the HofC, and you may not believe me, but they sure talked like idiots - dressed in pink kit and shouting at vicars? If that's democracy I'm an f-ing chatbot.

We did discuss this previously. I too felt the committee was 'stacked' with pro bill members. As to representative democracy, I do wonder if those who think MPs should directly represent the views of their constituents would say the same about capital punishment. If we had a referendum I'm pretty sure the result would favour its return but I don't think MPs should have to vote against their conscience and support a law to bring it back just because their particular electorate are in favour.

I'm very sorry to hear about your situation.
I hope you're being well looked after.

 

[farfromtheland]

I'm very sorry to hear about your situation.
I hope you're being well looked after.

Thanks! It varies. Ironically, the admin staff are often more caring than the medicos, with some appreciated exceptions.

 

[Rusty Nails]

It was you that mentioned private companies seeking to benefit from nursing homes, my observation was just extrapolating that. It's in your imagination that I was suggesting it was part of the bill. I did no such thing.
We have had lengthy sensible discussions on this topic already. There's no individual consensus, nor a forum one, to be had. It's inevitably a complex and divisive issue.

And one where I hope we arrive at the least worst result.

 

[bobzmyunkle]

Perhaps we'll eventually see assisted dying sold like funeral plans and Simply Cremation deals. Pay up front over 2 years and they'll sort it all out when the time comes.

You may be joking, but what is essentially wrong with that idea? Dignity in dying. Give us the choice.

 

[farfromtheland]

You may be joking, but what is essentially wrong with that idea? Dignity in dying. Give us the choice.

Commercialisation of death = dignity?
Hell's bells on a stick.

 

[Pblakeney]

Commercialisation of death = dignity?
Hell's bells on a stick.

There's not a hell of a lot of dignity in being doped up to the eyeballs with morphine.
Especially so when it was made clear decades earlier that you didn't want that kind of ending. People have different views, who knew?

 

[farfromtheland]

What makes this generation believe that death can be nice and cosy?
Life is hard and then you die.
Always has been thus.
Pain is everywhere.
Let's make life good enough.

There's not a hell of a lot of dignity in being doped up to the eyeballs with morphine.
Especially so when it was made clear decades earlier that you didn't want that kind of ending. People have different views, who knew?

My ex went that way after expressing that wish, with brave enough help.

 

[AuroraSaab]

You may be joking, but what is essentially wrong with that idea? Dignity in dying. Give us the choice.

It's the inevitable conclusion of late stage capitalism; the commodification of human life from the cradle to the grave. Death as a consumer product. Seriously though, I think it would normalise assisted dying, just like tv advertising has normalised gambling, which isn't necessarily a good thing. It might lead to people feeling pressured to opt in. I feel like assisted dying is a sign of our failure as a society to care for people at their most vulnerable point.

 

[bobzmyunkle]

I feel like assisted dying is a sign of our failure as a society to care for people at their most vulnerable point.

Eh?

 

[AuroraSaab]

I don't think that many people would sign up for it if they knew they had high quality palliative care guaranteed.

 

[Pblakeney]

I don't think that many people would sign up for it if they knew they had high quality palliative care guaranteed.

My mother would have signed up (as would I) and she had the highest quality of palliative care. That included being doped as high as possible to reduce the pain but not enough to kill her. A wee bit more would have been a blessing.

 

[briantrumpet]

My mother would have signed up (as would I) and she had the highest quality of palliative care. That included being doped as high as possible to reduce the pain but not enough to kill her. A wee bit more would have been a blessing.

I have a feeling that the medic who came in the middle of the night to dose my dad up with pump-delivered morphine when he was drowning in liquid on his lungs might have erred on the high side. He was dead within the hour.

 

[secretsqirrel]

I have a feeling that the medic who came in the middle of the night to dose my dad up with pump-delivered morphine when he was drowning in liquid on his lungs might have erred on the high side. He was dead within the hour.

This is the point where assisted living becomes assisted dying, which we have already. I’m sadly used to the routine of ‘we are moving your relative to a room on their own and stopping the support and the feeding’, just the morphine pump. They are then checked regularly and washed and changed, and with any luck totally oblivious. You sit with them a while until you realise that you can’t do anymore and go home.
I always got the call at home and was never there at the end.

 

[briantrumpet]

This is the point where assisted living becomes assisted dying, which we have already. I’m sadly used to the routine of ‘we are moving your relative to a room on their own and stopping the support and the feeding’, just the morphine pump. They are then checked regularly and washed and changed, and with any luck totally oblivious. You sit with them a while until you realise that you can’t do anymore and go home.
I always got the call at home and was never there at the end.

I can remember like it was yesterday. Chap who came avoided any pleasantries or really much eye contact. Quietly polite, but came and went.