Surgeons are latest medics to drop opposition to assisted dying being legalised

16 June 2023 , 20:14

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Sarah Wootton, from Dignity in Dying (Image: Internet Unknown)

Surgeons have dropped their opposition to assisted suicide after a majority voted to say they were in favour of it being legalised.

The Royal College of Surgeons became the latest medical body to drop its opposition after the British Medical Association, the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Nursing.

It will now officially adopt a neutral stance as the issue is the focus of an inquiry by the Health and Social Care Committee. Some 72% of surgeons voted to change the college’s opposition.

And 61% of survey respondents said they personally supported a change in the law on assisted dying – defined as “prescribing life ending drugs for terminally ill, mentally competent adults to administer themselves after meeting strict legal safeguards”.

Sarah Wootton, boss of Dignity in Dying, said: “Neutrality is the only stance that enables medical bodies to contribute fully and fairly to this debate.”

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Every week, one British citizen travels to Switzerland for help to die and British membership of assisted suicide clinic Dignitas is at an all-time high.

More than 250 million people around the world have access to some form of assisted dying law, including Australia, New Zealand and 11 states in the US. Assisted dying bills are progressing in the Scottish, Jersey and the Isle of Man parliaments.

Martin Bagot