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Henry Marsh, one of the UK’s leading neurosurgeons and bestselling author, has called for an urgent investigation into assisted dying after revealing he has advanced prostate cancer.
Marsh, author of Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery, said dying from cancer could be “a very horrible business,” but the law “insists that I must suffer.”
The politicians had “shown a surprising lack of compassion by dodging this issue for too long and inadvertently guilty of great cruelty,” he said.
His call for an investigation is backed by more than 50 MPs and peers from different parties, some of whom have previously voted against changing the law. His letter to Robert Buckland, the attorney general, argues that the UK has lagged behind many other countries on the issue of assisted death.
Last month, Spain became the latest European country to pass legislation giving patients with incurable diseases or unbearable conditions the right to choose to end their lives with the assistance of a doctor.
Assisted dying for terminally ill people is also allowed in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland. Canada, New Zealand, and several US states have also legalized assisted death.
The UK parliament last voted on the issue in 2015, rejecting by 330-118 a private member’s bill to allow assisted dying for terminally ill people who are likely to die within six months.
Under the Suicide Act of 1961, it is a crime to help someone end their life and there is a possible 14-year prison term.
An opinion poll conducted two years ago found that around nine out of 10 people believed that assisted dying was acceptable in some situations. A survey of doctors by the British Medical Association last year found that half believed there should be a change in the law to allow patients to receive help to die.
Marsh, 71, whose cancer was diagnosed six months ago, said: “Having spent a lifetime operating on people with cancer, the prospect of slowly dying from it fills me with dread. Despite the best efforts of palliative medicine, I know that dying from cancer can still be a horrible business, both for the patient and for the family, despite what opponents of assisted death claim.
“I firmly believe that if people in my situation knew that they had the ability to choose how, when and where they would die, their suffering would be greatly reduced. Knowing that I had this option, if life became unbearable, would certainly give me a lot more confidence now to face whatever the future holds.
But as the law stands, I am not allowed this consolation, and the law insists instead that I must suffer. Many politicians have shown a surprising lack of compassion by dodging this problem for too long and are inadvertently guilty of great cruelty. “
He continued: “Regardless of your opinion on assisted dying, I hope everyone agrees that our laws should be based on evidence and informed decisions, not on alarmist and baseless opposition that runs counter to all the evidence from countries where it assisted death has been legalized.
“It is time for all MPs to start taking this matter seriously and I urge you to launch an investigation into the law.”
The letter from MPs and colleagues, organized by Humanists UK and the campaign group My Death, My Decision, has also been sent to the chairs of various parliamentary committees.
It notes that countries such as Canada, Germany, Italy and New Zealand, and parts of the US and Australia, “have changed or should change their legislation since 2015. In addition, several other nations, including Ireland, are actively considering similar proposals. reflecting that such changes can be achieved in a safe and compassionate way. “
Crispin Blunt, Conservative MP and Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group, said: “In the years since Parliament last considered the law underpinning our ban on assisted death, 250 million people around the world they have won the option of a dignified death. , new evidence has emerged showing that respect for autonomy can be balanced with strong safeguards, and professional opinion has drastically shifted toward a change in the law. “
