The President of the Faculty of Public Health, the standard setting body for specialists in public health in the UK, has called for a change in the law to allow doctors to help terminally ill patients end their lives.
In an interview with the Guardian, Professor John Ashton claimed that doctors in the UK should be permitted to prescribe lethal drugs without facing prosecution. "We have midwives; we need an equivalent of a midwife at the end of life," he said.
"Denial of Hippocratic oath"
Responding to the comments, Andrea Williams of Christian Concern said: "To say that it's care for a doctor to kill is … a complete denial of their Hippocratic oath. A doctor is there to care for the patient, not to kill the patient. Midwives joyfully bring life into the world. It's not a doctor's place to play God at the end of life."
Read more (Telegraph) >
British Medical Association reiterates opposition to assisted suicide
This week, the British Medical Association (BMA) re-iterated its "firm opposition" to the legalislation of assisted suicide "in the face of renewed calls for a change in the law" by Labour Peer, Lord Falconer (see above).
BMA Council Chair Mark Porter said: Our focus must be on making sure every patient can access the very best of palliative care, which empowers patients to make decisions over their care.’
Read the BMA's statement here >
Watch Dr Peter Saunders of Care Not Killing discuss why the law on assisted suicide should not be changed on Revelation TV here>