RACHEL MacBEATH and HELEN PUTTICK

A total of 34 back-bench MSPs responded to The Herald's question: Should we change or clarify the law to provide the option of physician-assisted suicide for competent terminally ill patients, subject to strict safeguards? Eight said yes, seven said they did not know while 19 said no.

Liberal Democrat MSP Jeremy Purvis, who could present a new bid to change the law, would need 18 signatures to pursue his Dying with Dignity bill.

His proposals would allow doctors to prescribe a lethal medication for patients with less than six months to live to administer themselves. The bill includes a number of hurdles such as the patient making multiple requests over a period of time, an independent doctor verifying their diagnosis and prognosis and the patient being made aware of all their alternatives.

However, there were only five backers in parliament when the package was first suggested.

Mr Purvis said the subject was one of the last political taboos in Scotland, adding: "I find the public and young people who can talk about this quite freely are ahead of the politicians on this."

Research published in January found 60% of people in Britain supported physician assisted suicide, but debate around all forms of euthanasia remains particularly fierce with strong opinions on both sides.

One MSP told The Herald: "There is no need to clarify the law as the law is clear at the moment - physician assisted suicide is illegal."

Labour MSP Ken McIntosh, who also rejected the idea, said: "Physician assisted suicide would imply that you are giving doctors the choice of ending someone's life. I think that is an unfair position to put any doctor in.

"Doctors enter the medical profession to save lives and to put any duty or expectation on them is unfair, immoral and I do not think would work in practice." Mr McIntosh also said the move would "devalue human life".

He continued: "In the end, palliative care can be the only way to help somebody who is faced with death. It is still a very difficult subject. I would never underestimate the misery that a long and distressing death can bring to all the family, but in that situation it is the duty as another human being to care for people in that situation. That is what being a good human being is about."

In Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, France, Sweden, Finland and Oregan assisting a suicide is not an offence. The Netherlands has legalised euthanasia.

Rob Jonquiere, chief executive officer of the Dutch Right to Die Society, will be speaking at a conference on assisted dying organised by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh tomorrow.

He said surveys in Holland had shown doctors were carrying out euthanasia in a clandestine fashion before the law was changed.

He said: "My position is that euthanasia in the way we are talking about it is happening everywhere in the world. It is also happening in Scotland.

"Probably they do not use the right medication and they certainly will not report it because you are not going to report your own crime.

"We need to try and get countries like Scotland at least to do surveys and research as to what is actually happening in your country and be honest about it.

"It is against law but let's face the reality."

Events

  • Physician Assisted Suicide - A Good Death. A symposium organised by The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, is being held tomorrow at the college in Queen Street, Edinburgh, 9.30am-5pm. Attendance is by registration.
  • Should the Label Really Matter. A two-day conference about end-of- life care organised by St Margaret of Scotland Hospice is being held at the Hilton Glasgow Grosvenor, Byres Road on Thursday and Friday. Attendance is by registration.