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TV doctor Hilary Jones says he would help terminally ill to die if law changed

TV doctor Hilary Jones says he would help terminally ill to die if law changed

The GP, often seen on ITV's Good Morning Britain and the Lorraine show, said medicine will go 'back to the Dark Ages' if proposed legislation being considered at Westminster is voted down.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will return to the House of Commons for debate on Friday, with MPs expected to consider further amendments.
In its current form the Bill, which applies only to England and Wales, would mean terminally ill adults with only six months left to live could apply for assistance to end their lives, with approval needed from two doctors and the expert panel.
Last month, MPs approved a change in the Bill to ensure no medics would be obliged to take part in assisted dying.
Doctors already had an opt-out but the new clause extends that to anyone, including pharmacists and social care workers.
Dr Jones, in an interview with the PA news agency, said medics are 'looking over their shoulders because of the legal repercussions of the law' as it stands.
Encouraging or assisting suicide is currently against the law in England and Wales, with a maximum jail sentence of 14 years.
MPs in the Commons during a previous debate on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA)
Asked about the significance if the law does change, Dr Jones told PA: 'It will relieve healthcare professionals who deal with terminal illness.
'There are wonderful people who are caring and compassionate, who just live in fear of their actions being misinterpreted, of being accused of wrongdoing, and because of that fear, people at the end of life are often undertreated.
'People are looking over their shoulder because of the medications they're using or the doses they're using, it means that patients aren't getting the best palliative care that they could have.
'And I think the Bill, if it passes, will alleviate a great deal of that, and put people's minds at rest that they're not going to suffer unnecessarily at the end of life.'
Ahead of last month's Commons debate on the Bill, two royal medical colleges raised concerns over the proposed legislation.
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) said it believes there are 'concerning deficiencies', while the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) said it has 'serious concerns' and cannot support the Bill.
Dr Jones, who has been practising medicine for more than 45 years and spent time working on cancer wards during his career, said he has 'always supported it (assisted dying)'.
He added: 'I've always felt it is the most humane, kind and compassionate thing that relatives and doctors can provide, knowing that that person's wishes are respected and known, that there is full mental capacity and that they're surrounded by love.
'And for me, it's always been very clear.'
Asked if, were the law to change, he would be content to help someone who had chosen assisted dying at the end of their life, he said: 'Absolutely, if I know the patient, I know what their wishes are, I see them suffering, and there's nothing more I can do to help their suffering then, absolutely, I would hold their hand and help them achieve what they want to achieve.'
Some of the Bill's opponents have urged MPs to focus on improving end-of-life care rather than legislating for assisted dying.
But Dr Jones said his mother, who was a nurse and died 'suffering unnecessarily' despite the 'best possible palliative care' would be 'proud of me speaking on this subject now, in the way I am'.
He told of his respect for people's 'religious beliefs, cultural beliefs and personal feelings' in being opposed to assisted dying but insisted it should be an area of choice.
He said: 'The bottom line is that I think it's the patient's individual choice. I think we should respect the right of the individual to choose what they want.
'This is not a mandatory thing. This is not being imposed on anybody.
'And I think people should have the individual right to make a decision about how they end their life if they've got a terminal illness where there's no prospect of cure and they're suffering and they fear an undignified death.'
Asked about the prospect of the Bill being voted down by MPs, Dr Jones said: 'We would be back to square one, back to the Dark Ages, in my opinion, medically, and that would be a shame.
'I don't think we would be advancing medicine if the Bill is not passed.'
Our Duty Of Care, a group of healthcare professionals campaigning against a change in the law, said the question must be whether someone is making a 'true choice' if they apply for assisted dying.
Dr Gillian Wright, a spokesperson for the group, said: 'If someone has not had access to palliative care, psychological support or social care, then are they making a true choice?'
'At a time when the NHS is on its knees, when palliative are social care are struggling and our amazing hospices are having to close beds and cut services because of lack of money, as someone who has cared for people at the end of life, I would urge MPs to vote against this Bill but instead invest in excellent specialist palliative care, social care and psychological support.'

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Dr Emma Boulton, from Oxfordshire, spoke of the difference between her mother's 'horrible' decline over a period of weeks with respiratory failure in England and the 'very dignified' deaths she has been involved with in New South Wales. The 59-year-old, who trained and previously worked in the UK as a GP but is now based in Sydney, said her main role is assessing patients who have applied for an assisted death, but that she has been directly involved in ending the lives of 10 people. Known as intravenous practitioner administration, this involves injecting someone with an anaesthetic. In an interview with the PA news agency, she said: 'It's quick, it's painless, it's very dignified.' She added: 'When people go, there's often this palpable sense of relief, and it can be very uplifting, because you see this person who's deeply, deeply suffering in lots of ways, and they've made this really gutsy decision that they want to exit this world on their own terms, and they do so. 'And it's in a very dignified and quick and painless manner. 'It's a very moving thing to be involved with. I consider it a tremendous privilege to be involved in it and be able to assist people to determine their fate, particularly when they're going through intolerable suffering.' Dr Boulton recently took part in an event in Parliament to support campaigners from Humanists UK and My Death My Decision working towards a change in the law in England and Wales. Intravenous practitioner administration does not form part of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which is due to return to the House of Commons for debate and more votes on amendments on Friday. The Bill proposes that a terminally ill person would take an approved substance, provided by a doctor but administered only by the person themselves. 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The Westminster Bill states that no person, including any medical workers, are obliged to take part in assisted dying, meaning doctors would be free to opt out if the law was changed and a service set up. Dr Boulton said her mother, Margaret, had endured a 'horrible feeling of slow suffocation' in the lead up to her death aged 88 in February last year, and that it had been a 'very frustrating' experience for the family, especially as her mother had voiced support for assisted dying. She said: 'When she knew that she was on the way out, that she was dying, she got very angry and said, 'I would really like to be able to just stop this now and just go'. 'What I witnessed with my mother is not that different from the suffering that I see in my assisted dying work. But the good thing is that if they meet the eligibility criteria in our assessment then the patients that I see (in Australia) can access the assisted dying process, whereas people in the UK can't.' 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Dr Emma Boulton, from Oxfordshire, spoke of the difference between her mother's 'horrible' decline over a period of weeks with respiratory failure in England and the 'very dignified' deaths she has been involved with in New South Wales. The 59-year-old, who trained and previously worked in the UK as a GP but is now based in Sydney, said her main role is assessing patients who have applied for an assisted death, but that she has been directly involved in ending the lives of 10 people. Known as intravenous practitioner administration, this involves injecting someone with an anaesthetic. In an interview with the PA news agency, she said: 'It's quick, it's painless, it's very dignified.' She added: 'When people go, there's often this palpable sense of relief, and it can be very uplifting, because you see this person who's deeply, deeply suffering in lots of ways, and they've made this really gutsy decision that they want to exit this world on their own terms, and they do so. 'And it's in a very dignified and quick and painless manner. 'It's a very moving thing to be involved with. I consider it a tremendous privilege to be involved in it and be able to assist people to determine their fate, particularly when they're going through intolerable suffering.' Dr Boulton recently took part in an event in Parliament to support campaigners from Humanists UK and My Death My Decision working towards a change in the law in England and Wales. Intravenous practitioner administration does not form part of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which is due to return to the House of Commons for debate and more votes on amendments on Friday. The Bill proposes that a terminally ill person would take an approved substance, provided by a doctor but administered only by the person themselves. The proposed legislation would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death, subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist. Speaking about the challenges of her role in New South Wales, Dr Boulton acknowledged that it is 'not work that's for everybody'. She said: 'You have to be pretty resilient and comfortable in your own skin and be able to work with these things. 'For me, personally, particularly for the first few (deaths) that I was involved with, I felt very strange. It's like, 'what have I done?' You know, I've spent my whole life prolonging life, and now in my hand, you know, somebody has died as a result of my actions. 'So it's quite an odd thing to have to deal with, but the way that I get around it is by knowing, understanding that I am alleviating suffering, and I'm acting on the patient's express wishes, and that really helps me through.' The Westminster Bill states that no person, including any medical workers, are obliged to take part in assisted dying, meaning doctors would be free to opt out if the law was changed and a service set up. Dr Boulton said her mother, Margaret, had endured a 'horrible feeling of slow suffocation' in the lead up to her death aged 88 in February last year, and that it had been a 'very frustrating' experience for the family, especially as her mother had voiced support for assisted dying. She said: 'When she knew that she was on the way out, that she was dying, she got very angry and said, 'I would really like to be able to just stop this now and just go'. 'What I witnessed with my mother is not that different from the suffering that I see in my assisted dying work. But the good thing is that if they meet the eligibility criteria in our assessment then the patients that I see (in Australia) can access the assisted dying process, whereas people in the UK can't.' Medics remains divided on the subject of assisted dying, with some MPs who are also doctors among the Bill's supporters, but the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) both airing concerns. The RCP said it believes there are 'concerning deficiencies' with the proposed legislation while the RCPsych said it has 'serious concerns' and cannot support the current Bill. Earlier this week, around 1,000 doctors signed a letter to MPs urging them to vote against a Bill they described as 'simply not safe'. The doctors, from across the NHS, urged lawmakers to listen to those 'who would have to deliver the consequences of this deeply flawed Bill', warning it 'poses a real threat to both patients and the medical workforce'. Dr Boulton said she believes much opposition to a change in the law is born from fear. 'I think objection is based in fear and I think a proper legislative framework would actually protect people and their practitioners,' she said. Many opponents of the Westminster Bill have raised concerns about people being coerced and the vulnerable being taken advantage of, but Dr Boulton said it is not a case of 'killing off granny'. She said: 'The patients I work with are incredibly calm. They're clear, they're very determined that this is a choice that they want to have. 'So, you know, people are worried about killing off granny because they want to get her money and that she's helpless and she can't make decisions for herself, and it's not like that at all. 'The process of assessment and making sure that people are fully aware and that this is an informed choice that they're making about their own life, having that really structured assessment framework actually protects people.'

Assisted dying: UK doctor says helping patients die in Australia is ‘privilege'
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Dr Emma Boulton, from Oxfordshire, spoke of the difference between her mother's 'horrible' decline over a period of weeks with respiratory failure in England and the 'very dignified' deaths she has been involved with in New South Wales. The 59-year-old, who trained and previously worked in the UK as a GP but is now based in Sydney, said her main role is assessing patients who have applied for an assisted death, but that she has been directly involved in ending the lives of 10 people. Known as intravenous practitioner administration, this involves injecting someone with an anaesthetic. In an interview with the PA news agency, she said: 'It's quick, it's painless, it's very dignified.' She added: 'When people go, there's often this palpable sense of relief, and it can be very uplifting, because you see this person who's deeply, deeply suffering in lots of ways, and they've made this really gutsy decision that they want to exit this world on their own terms, and they do so. 'And it's in a very dignified and quick and painless manner. 'It's a very moving thing to be involved with. I consider it a tremendous privilege to be involved in it and be able to assist people to determine their fate, particularly when they're going through intolerable suffering.' Dr Boulton recently took part in an event in Parliament to support campaigners from Humanists UK and My Death My Decision working towards a change in the law in England and Wales. Intravenous practitioner administration does not form part of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which is due to return to the House of Commons for debate and more votes on amendments on Friday. Dr Emma Boulton (right) with her sister Sarah (Humanists UK and MDMD/PA) The Bill proposes that a terminally ill person would take an approved substance, provided by a doctor but administered only by the person themselves. The proposed legislation would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death, subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist. Speaking about the challenges of her role in New South Wales, Dr Boulton acknowledged that it is 'not work that's for everybody'. She said: 'You have to be pretty resilient and comfortable in your own skin and be able to work with these things. 'For me, personally, particularly for the first few (deaths) that I was involved with, I felt very strange. It's like, 'what have I done?' You know, I've spent my whole life prolonging life, and now in my hand, you know, somebody has died as a result of my actions. 'So it's quite an odd thing to have to deal with, but the way that I get around it is by knowing, understanding that I am alleviating suffering, and I'm acting on the patient's express wishes, and that really helps me through.' The Royal College of Physicians has expressed concerns about the assisted dying Bill (Alamy/PA) The Westminster Bill states that no person, including any medical workers, are obliged to take part in assisted dying, meaning doctors would be free to opt out if the law was changed and a service set up. Dr Boulton said her mother, Margaret, had endured a 'horrible feeling of slow suffocation' in the lead up to her death aged 88 in February last year, and that it had been a 'very frustrating' experience for the family, especially as her mother had voiced support for assisted dying. She said: 'When she knew that she was on the way out, that she was dying, she got very angry and said, 'I would really like to be able to just stop this now and just go'. 'What I witnessed with my mother is not that different from the suffering that I see in my assisted dying work. But the good thing is that if they meet the eligibility criteria in our assessment then the patients that I see (in Australia) can access the assisted dying process, whereas people in the UK can't.' Medics remains divided on the subject of assisted dying, with some MPs who are also doctors among the Bill's supporters, but the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) both airing concerns. The RCP said it believes there are 'concerning deficiencies' with the proposed legislation while the RCPsych said it has 'serious concerns' and cannot support the current Bill. Earlier this week, around 1,000 doctors signed a letter to MPs urging them to vote against a Bill they described as 'simply not safe'. The doctors, from across the NHS, urged lawmakers to listen to those 'who would have to deliver the consequences of this deeply flawed Bill', warning it 'poses a real threat to both patients and the medical workforce'. Dr Boulton said she believes much opposition to a change in the law is born from fear. 'I think objection is based in fear and I think a proper legislative framework would actually protect people and their practitioners,' she said. Many opponents of the Westminster Bill have raised concerns about people being coerced and the vulnerable being taken advantage of, but Dr Boulton said it is not a case of 'killing off granny'. She said: 'The patients I work with are incredibly calm. They're clear, they're very determined that this is a choice that they want to have. 'So, you know, people are worried about killing off granny because they want to get her money and that she's helpless and she can't make decisions for herself, and it's not like that at all. 'The process of assessment and making sure that people are fully aware and that this is an informed choice that they're making about their own life, having that really structured assessment framework actually protects people.'

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