Physician assisted suicide

Question 1

• To understand the legislation regarding physician assisted suicide
• To understand the role of ‘Advance Directives’
• To consider what role doctors should take regarding legislation that will affect them and the way that they practice
• To consider whether medical ethics are static or can or should change with time.

Answer 1

.

Question 2

What is physician assisted suicide + is it legal in UK

Answer 2

Providing a competent terminally ill patient with a prescription for medication to end his or her own life

No, illegal in UK

Question 3

Active vs passive euthanasia

Answer 3

“Active euthanasia” - doctor injects them with the Letha medication

“Passive euthanasia” - causing someone’s death by withholding or withdrawing treatment that is necessary to maintain life (not to be confused with palliative care which is withdrawing life-sustaining treatment because it’s in the person’s best interests)

Question 4

What is an advance directive

Answer 4

Legal document in which a person specifies what actions should be taken for their health if they are no longer able to make decisions for themselves because of illness or incapacity

Question 5

What criteria must be met to determine if an advance directive is legally binding

Answer 5

1. Must be in writing, signed and witnessed and state that it applies to the specific treatment that is currently being proposed
2. Must be valid at the time it is put into effect - if there is evidence to suggest the person has changed his or her mind then this makes it invalid
3. Must be applicable to the current circumstances - If it does not specify the treatment that is now proposed, or if the circumstances envisaged at the time of writing have now changed, then the advance directive may not be applicable