Legalise Non-voluntary Euthanasia, Says Professor Of Medical Ethics

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 07 Jun 2006 - 5:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

One of the UK's leading medical ethicists, Emeritus Professor Len Doyal, has called for the legalisation of voluntary and non-voluntary euthanasia in Britain.

Writing in The Royal Society of Medicine's Clinical Ethics journal, Professor Doyal said, "Doctor assisted deaths are taking place on a regular and recurring basis in the UK. They should be better regulated."

"When doctors withdraw life-sustaining treatment such as feeding tubes from severely incompetent patients, it should morally be recognised for what it is - euthanasia where death is foreseen with certainty.

"Doctors may not want to admit this and couch their decision in terms such as 'alleviating suffering' but withdrawal of life sustaining treatment from severely incompetent patients is morally equivalent to active euthanasia," he stated.

Professor Doyal asked, "If doctors can already choose not to keep uncomprehending patients alive because they believe that life is of no further benefit to them, why should their death be needlessly prolonged?"

"It is ironic that much of the debate about euthanasia has been so focussed on competent patients. Withdrawing feeding tubes, ventilators or antibiotics from incompetent patients may result in a slow, painful and incomprehensible death that could be avoided through the legalisation of non-voluntary active euthanasia."

Referring specifically to the Joffe Bill, Professor Doyal claimed, "Some supporters of euthanasia remain silent about non-voluntary euthanasia, presumably because they believe that focusing on voluntary euthanasia offers a better chance of legalisation. Yet in doing so, they ignore important arguments for their own position."

"If doctors are now allowed control - and should be able to exert even more control over - the deaths of severely incompetent patients, why should competent patients not be able to control the circumstances of their own deaths if this is what they wish?

"Proponents of voluntary euthanasia should support non-voluntary euthanasia under appropriate circumstances and with proper regulation", Professor Doyal concluded.

Len Doyal is Emeritus Professor of Medical Ethics at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary, University of London. Professor Doyal lectures, publishes and consults widely. He has been a member of the BMA Ethics Committee for nine years.

'Dignity in dying should include the legalization of non-voluntary euthanasia' is published in the June issue (Vol.1) of Clinical Ethics.

Clinical Ethics is published quarterly by the Royal Society of Medicine. Its Editors are Bobbie Farsides and Sue Eckstein. http://www.clinicalethics.co.uk

Founded in 1805, the Royal Society of Medicine is an independent organisation that promotes the exchange of knowledge, information and ideas in medical science and continued improvement in human health.

http://www.rsm.ac.uk