Patients with months to live ‘could request death drug from their GP’

A CONTROVERSIAL plan published today to allow assisted suicide “could be looked at” in Scotland, a commission has said.

Under the proposed law change, adults who are likely to have less than a year left to live could be given the chance to ask their doctor for a dose of medication that would end their life.

Independent MSP Margo MacDonald, whose proposals for a new law to legalise assisted dying were voted down in the last parliament, told The Scotsman today’s report “enhanced” the case for a change in the law in Scotland.

Ms MacDonald, who is to bring her bill back to Holyrood later this year, said Scots would now be “more reassured” about her proposals, following the findings of former lord chancellor Lord Falconer’s independent commission.

The year-long Commission on Assisted Dying has called on the UK government to change the law to allow a terminally ill patient to be able to take the medication prescribed by a GP themselves, which it claims would be a clear sign their actions were voluntary.

However, the findings said that a patient should not be “unduly influenced by others” in deciding to end their life and called for stringent safeguards to protect the clinically depressed and those who might not have the “capacity to make a voluntary and informed choice.”

A commission spokeswoman said that although the proposal was aimed mainly at the English and Welsh legal systems, there was “no reason why it couldn’t be adopted in Scotland”.

She said: “The commission is keen to look at the what’s acceptable in a British context and even though a proposed change in the law would be geared towards England and Wales, that’s not to say it couldn’t be looked at elsewhere.”

The spokeswoman said that Lord Falconer hoped the proposed law change was “something that could be looked at in Scotland.”

Ms MacDonald said the commission’s report increased the chances of assisted suicide being legalised in Scotland.

She said: “I’m delighted that Lord Falconer has brought this into the public arena for further public investigation, as it’s an issue that’s not going to go away.

“The publication of this report means that it will be talked about and that the general debate will be enhanced, as well as the understanding of the issues involved.

“It will make people more reassured by bringing the issue to the fore, as well as enhancing the chances of a change in the law in Scotland.”

However, a Scottish Government spokeswoman ruled out support for a change in the law on assisted suicide and said that MSPs had already rejected the proposals.

She said: “While it is right that a patient who suffers from a life-limiting illness should receive the best palliative and end-of-life care available, deliberate taking of life remains illegal and there are no plans to change this.

“We recognise the strong views many people hold in regards to voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide, and this has been debated by the Scottish Parliament. The End of Life Assistance Bill was considered and rejected by MSPs in 2010.”

Senior Tory MSP Alex Johnstone criticised the findings of Lord Falconer’s commission.

He said: “My primary concern is that we should trust the medical profession rather than going down this route, which has been tried unsuccessfully in other countries.”

Members of the commission hope that the proposals will be debated at Westminster and by the UK’s devolved parliaments.