The price of death

The Rev Dr Donald M MacDonald (Letters, 20 February) says of Margo MacDonald’s Bill allowing assisted suicide: “If it were to become law, financial pressures could well be brought to bear on the vulnerable, as assisted suicide would be a cheaper option than palliative care.”

By The Newsroom

Published 21st Feb 2014, 00:00 BST

It is already legal to refuse treatment and to bring about one’s death that way. That is “a cheaper option than palliative care”.

Is he aware of pressure being brought on the terminally ill to refuse treatment instead of receiving palliative care?

If he has, let him bring it forward.

If he hasn’t, why does he think it is more likely that there would be pressure to accept assisted suicide than there is pressure to refuse treatment?

Paul Brownsey

Larchfield Road

Glasgow