This model would
1) Provide compassionate legitmacy and safety for patients and those close to them.
2) Have a patient’s request assessed by a statutory authority who would appoint multidisciplinary panels of skilled legal and clinical experts and monitor all parts of the process.
3) Make the UK the first in the world to provide scrutiny during the assessment process.
4) Be outside healthcare, allowing professionals and organisations to opt-in
as opposed to being forced to opt-out
5) Ensure a central reporting system transparently monitors the process
See Green box below for details.
Fact: Most healthcare professionals are not trained to detect coercion
Fact: healthcare services are already stretched and exhausted. Experienced staff are in short supply
Fact: Healthcare professionals commonly miss treatable depression
Fact: No drug regulatory authority anywhere in the world has approved assisted dying drugs and doses. Consequently, very few doctors are willing to do this (1-2% in Canada, Oregon and Australia).
Fact: dispensing, preparing and administering assisted dying drugs demands careful monitoring and recording. This is missing in many jurisdictions
Fact: Estimates of work invovled in each assisted death vary from 15 to 60 hours
Fact: some medical assisted dying jurisdictions (eg. Canada) are insisting all services must offer and practice assisted dying on their premises. Assisted dying-free care is no longer a choice in these jurisdictions.
Fact: Nearly 1 in 10 assisted deaths in Oregon have a complication and yet protocols for managing those problems are uncommon and often incomplete.
Fact: the impact on healthcare professionals can be profound with nearly a quarter suffering longterm psychological consequences.
Fact: The impact on organisations is considerable.
