Medical experts have warned the Scottish Government that the proposed assisted suicide law in Scotland needs tougher safeguards to protect staff treating patients.
The Assisted Suicide Bill grants people whose lives have become intolerable the right to seek the help of a doctor to help end their lives. The final act would need to be carried out by the person wishing to end their life.
Left To Courts
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, stated that the decision should be left to the courts. She said: "If you want to look at how to improve this bill, I think you should not make the doctor be the person who sits in judgement over whether or not they are suffering enough to be eligible for assisted suicide.”
"What you do is you maintain that doctor's duty of care to do everything they can to improve that person's quality of life and to carry on providing care."
Doesn’t Protect Doctors
Dr David Jeffery, from the University of Edinburgh, felt that the bill did not protect doctors properly saying: "Doctors, by their oath, stay on the side of no - they can't kill patients.
"We're confident in that and that enables us, in all sorts of ways, not just these difficult conversations, it enables us to feel confident using large doses of drugs where they are necessary to combat pain.
"We feel confident in that we are protected by the law."
The Scottish Legal Position
Helping someone end their life in Scotland is illegal, like the rest of the UK, despite attempting suicide not being a crime.
Critics believe that the passing on the bill may lead to medical negligence and further issues from medical professionals.
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