There are “unsolvable problems” with Liam McArthur’s assisted suicide Bill, campaigners have warned.
This morning, MSPs on Holyrood’s Health Committee heard evidence from experts on Alzheimer’s, MND, Cerebral Palsy and disability.
Witnesses raised a range of problems with the Bill that raise the spectre of abuses against vulnerable Scots.
A spokesperson for Better Way commented:
“During this morning’s sessions, experts pointed to serious issues with Liam McArthur’s legislation that are, in our view, unsolvable. It is impossible to guarantee an accurate assessment of mental capacity for every patient, impossible to rule out coercion, and impossible to prevent people ending their lives due to external pressures, including inequality.
“Both Alzheimer Scotland and Cerebral Palsy Scotland stressed the difficulty of assessing capacity in the people they represent. People with cerebral palsy often have learning difficulties and lack the means to communicate fully. They also lack regular contact with the same medics, undermining decision-making. Dementia patients can have fluctuating capacity.
“Alzheimer Scotland noted that people living with dementia fall into a ‘particularly vulnerable category’ and are at risk of abuse, noting that pressures may come from elsewhere to seek an assisted death. The organisation noted the perception people have of being a burden, the stigma people face, and social interactions that make them feel like life isn’t worth living.
“The witnesses – and particularly those representing disabled people – noted the various inequalities people face, which may push them towards an assisted death. No safeguard could prevent people feeling pressure to die because they lack sufficient support, or because of feelings of hopelessness arising from loneliness, poverty, family breakdown and a host of other factors.
“We would urge MSPs to reject this unsafe and unworkable Bill and devote all their energy to improving ethical and progressive forms of support: blanket suicide prevention, palliative care, and measures that create a more inclusive society for disabled people. There is a better way forward.”
ENDS
Better Way campaign opposes assisted suicide, sets out an alternative vision, and provides a platform for marginalised voices. The campaign is supported by experts in several fields including medicine, disability advocacy, and sociology.
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Contact us: admin@betterwaycampaign.co.uk