Euthanasia? Yes Please. Then I Would Be The Killer, Not A Doctor!

Let’s talk euthanasia, shall we, as it is a very important subject? But I want to start by saying something I believe is also a very, very significant part of the debate, probably the most important aspect, and that is – it’s my life!!

It doesn’t belong to a government, as I write this, not the Labour Party, and certainly not Kier Starmer, or even my family; it belongs to no-one but me. So why can’t I decide what happens with it?

Euthanasia and assisted dying are illegal, and I can’t help thinking in this day and age that is wrong. Many, many years ago when my grandfather was receiving end-of-life care in the local town hospital, he was being cared for by my mother, his own daughter, and he was in a bad way. The experiences of being a medic in the First World War, like so many of the veterans, had come back to haunt him, and with his poor deteriorating health, things were not good, not good at all.

The story is that my mother approached the senior doctor on the night shift and asked him if he could give my grandfather something to settle him. Lo and behold, within two minutes of getting the injection, my grandfather had passed away! Was that a case of euthanasia, or was it just the way things worked out for him - I have my opinion!

With people and NHS professionals protesting, we see placards saying, ‘don’t make doctors killers.' Yet some doctors have been happy to end life when it was needed, and I am sure many medical professionals agree with euthanasia; they can’t all be against it, can they? The thing is, if that happened for my grandfather, how many other people were helped on their way? Because let’s face it, we do not want to see anyone, especially loved ones suffer, but why do doctors have to become killers? Because they don’t!

The best-known euthanasia clinic is probably Dignitas in Switzerland. After research, it seems the lethal mixture is put together for them, but to administer the drug, the person wanting to be euthanised, must hit the button themselves to start the flow into their body. It is easily researched, and no-one other than the person wishing to end their life can undertake a physical act to administer a lethal dose. Someone could say hold a glass, but cannot put the straw into the patient’s mouth.

Dignitas Switzerland - How it should be done

Courtesy of dignitas.ch

So, if that is how it works, does that make the person mixing the lethal mixture the killer? Of course not. The person seeking an early end of life can always change their mind, and so it is legalised suicide, as simple as that!

This is also one of the arguments for euthanasia; if people want to end their lives, they probably will. If they couldn’t do it legally and peacefully, this could not only result in a horrible, painful death, affecting many people, but it could also lead to life-changing injuries if or when they didn’t succeed. If it was a horrible death, is that how you would want to remember someone you know or love – of course not!

Do train drivers and staff, possibly passengers, and the subsequent medical and police staff have to witness the aftermath of someone jumping in front of a train or a lorry, or be at the scene where someone has jumped off a bridge or high building, or any form of a life-ending situation, as it will not be nice? Lying in a bed in an authorised establishment, maybe with your chosen loved ones around you, and falling off to sleep peacefully, never to wake up, is surely what we would all prefer.

It’s certainly my chosen option, and it is the same for many people I know, so why not take the vote to the people instead of keeping it in the House of Commons? After all, it is the people’s lives, not theirs!

So, who decides who can be euthanised, because it can’t happen with everyone, can it? Unfortunately, some people will never have the mental capability to make the decision, and that is a sad situation but one we have to be realistic about. We can’t have ‘Euthanasia Express’ or ‘Euthanasia Now’ type clinics, where people can just walk in off the street and pay their money for that lethal mixture. It has to be a controlled and organised system, and this would be mine!

Anyone wanting euthanasia must pay for a panel of three doctors, who must all be pro-euthanasia, because a doctor on the panel against it means that with this system, no one would ever be allowed euthanasia, as all three doctors would have to agree to the individual's request. This would have to be signed off by all three, and as mentioned, if any one doctor disagrees, then the request is refused. But if all three are pro-euthanasia, they still have to be professional in their judgement, which I am sure they would be, and medical professionalism must come before their euthanasia beliefs. They can’t just feel sorry for someone and sign the form!

The debate will go on, but euthanasia does not make doctors killers

Courtesy BBC News

One of the panel members should preferably be a GP who knows the individual; there should be a number of questions, if possible, set out the same for each person so there is consistency with the system, and the patients’ medical history must be available for the panel to see.

Costs and questions? I have no idea; that would be for the medical experts to sort out and decide upon, but those three signatures are key; only two means a no-go. How often can someone apply? Well, as long as they pay their money, probably as often as they want. Do we limit the applications to three or five? I would imagine so, and again, probably one for the experts, but if someone wants to apply five times, that in itself tells you something about how they feel, their beliefs, and their life.

Let’s go back a few steps to mental capabilities; unfortunately, some people will never be able to make the decision on their own, and people certainly can’t make it for them. It’s an unfortunate part of life, but we have to make sure we do things properly.

No fast tracking; give people time to think about it once the form is signed off. Maybe you can’t go through with it for at least a week, maybe two, to make sure they still want it to happen. And how about an expiry date for the form? If the person hasn’t gone through with their plan in, say, one, two, or three months after the form has been signed, then they have to re-apply. And again, this is for the experts to decide

However, to contradict that, should someone have a form signed off, but it’s not used and that someone becomes incapacitated or their health deteriorates so that they need constant personal care, which they do not want, as I wouldn’t, then assisted dying could then be looked at, and there must be a caveat within the documentation that states the person signing the form wishes this to happen with their demise.

Ideally, there is a family member or friend that is willing to make sure these wishes are carried out, and they would also sign the document at the time of the assessment.

Either way this can be sorted out, from the system we use to who is allowed to apply, right through to the way the drugs are administered. We can learn so much from countries already doing this successfully. Surely a group of experts could visit the countries where this is legal, make notes, and learn, and using the different information gained, we can implement a system that is fair for all.

The assessment is something that the person seeking euthanasia must do on their own; there cannot be anyone with them and talking for them or encouraging or coercing them. It is a decision for an individual.

It’s complex, but with the places already doing this and with the experience and, if necessary, technology we have available in place nowadays, there is no reason why a system cannot be put in place that is available and fair to everyone and that no-one can enforce for someone else!

But please remember - it’s my life, and to put this in place it DOES NOT make doctors killers, and it is a safe and dignified end for those who chose this way, and that is what needs to be considered and put in place!

When my time comes, and if I am able before my situation gets too bad, I will happily jump in my motorhome, head off to the continent, and do things legally and peacefully. And the best part is, no-one can stop me. But either way there should be dignity in death!

Thanks fro reading

DJ