Scottish Health Secretary urged to vote down assisted suicide bill by doctors, campaigners

Scotland's Health Secretary has been urged to vote down assisted suicide proposals before the Scottish Parliament as there can be "no ultimate safeguard against coercion and abuse, or extension".

An open letter to Humza Yousaf signed by dozens of doctors, campaigners and members of different faith groups points to the "tragic experience of other jurisdictions" which "puts this beyond doubt".

At the weekend, Mr Yousaf revealed he is not convinced by 'assisted dying' plans lodged by Liam McArthur MSP earlier this year, to allow terminally ill patients in Scotland to ingest lethal drugs.

A full copy of the letter is below. CARE is part of the Care Not Killing Alliance, one of the signatories.

Open letter to Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care

Dear Mr Yousaf,

We the undersigned welcome your comments at the weekend concerning Liam McArthur MSP’s proposed Assisted Dying Bill. The question of safeguards is incredibly important. In our view, there can be no ultimate safeguard against coercion and abuse, or extension of this legislation to include other groups of people. The tragic experience of other jurisdictions puts this beyond doubt.

We are also concerned that legalising ‘assisted dying’ will inevitably lead to increasingly adverse judgements about the quality of life of disabled people. This will undoubtedly begin to affect disabled people who cannot speak for themselves and who have not requested death. Troubling evidence from Canada confirms that discrimination and inequality have been further entrenched since the law changed in 2016.

It is notable that your stance as Health Secretary is one shared by your counterparts in the UK Government and in Jersey; Sajid Javid MP and Deputy Richard Renouf. The views of both Ministers have been informed by doctors – especially those working in palliative care – who believe legalising the practice would seriously undermine patient safety and diminish the quality of care available. We hope your own views will continue to be led by such people, who are experts in navigating suffering at the end-of-life.

There are many, serious concerns about the proposals currently before Holyrood. ‘Safeguards’ on paper will do little in practice. In other jurisdictions, they have been dispensed with over time as pressure has mounted for eligibility to be expanded. Upholding existing laws is the only effective guard against abuses and a radical extension of the ‘assisted dying’ framework down the line.

For the sake of vulnerable patients, people with disabilities, and others who stand to be harmed, we urge you and your colleagues to strongly oppose the Assisted Dying Bill in the coming months.

Sincerely,

Dr Miro Griffiths, academic, disability adviser and spokesman, Better Way campaign

Phil Friend, spokesman, Not Dead Yet UK

Gordon MacDonald, CEO, Care Not Killing Alliance

Gillian Wright MD, Our Duty of Care

Dr Calum MacKellar, Medical Bioethicist, Edinburgh

Dr Muhammad Adrees, Convenor, Muslim Council of Scotland

David Miller, Moderator, United Free Church of Scotland

Stephen Allison, Public Engagement Coordinator, Free Church of Scotland

Bishop Hugh Gilbert, Bishop of Aberdeen

Anthony Horan, Director, Roman Catholic Parliamentary Office

Prof David Galloway, past president, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow

Prof Johann de Bono, Regius Professor of Cancer Research Professor of Experimental Cancer Medicine & Honorary Consultant in Medical Oncology

Kirsteen Cowling, Children’s Hospice nurse, CHAS (Children’s Hospices across Scotland)

And 28 medical doctors from across Scotland