Assisted dying: the ongoing debate

Assisted dying remains highly topical and debated, both in the public and medical arena. All practising physicians in the UK who care for dying patients should be aware of the proposed legislation and the potential effects on their clinical practice. Physician assisted death is a legal activity in certain parts of the world but not presently the UK (for example, the state of Oregon following the 1997 Death with Dignity Act and in the Netherlands under the 2001 Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide Act).1 Surveys suggest around 56% of doctors and 82% of the general public favour assisted dying.2,3 If legalised, it is estimated that 13 000 deaths a year may result from physician assisted suicide in the UK.4 The debate regarding physician assisted death is complex involving many legal, ethical, medical, sociocultural, personal, and religious issues. In this article we describe the important provisions of the proposed Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill in the UK and summarise the arguments for and against such legislation.