OT - Assisted Dying Bill

[Brin]

Another tragic case of someone wanting to end their own life through cancer:

A 38-year-old man who is dying of cancer has backed calls to legalise assisted dying.

Nathaniel Dye played a key part in Labour’s election campaign after sharing his cancer story at the party's manifesto launch, the Mirror reports. The music teacher is now pleading with MPs to think of the “profound difference” they can make by giving people control over their deaths.

Mr Dye has stage 4 incurable bowel cancer. which has spread to his liver, lungs and brain. He said he believes giving terminally ill people the option of assisted dying is the “kind” and “compassionate” thing to do.

He makes the plea as a Bill to legalise assisted dying is expected to be published in full on Tuesday ahead of the first vote on the issue on November 29. In an interview with the Mirror, Mr Dye spoke about experiencing a “humongous tsunami” of pain when he suffered a bowel obstruction in January last year.

He said: “My internal monologue was a whimper. I was calling for my mother and she'd been dead for years. Pain makes you lose your dignity.”

Mr Dye has now teamed up with campaign group Dignity in Dying after hearing devastating stories of death - including one of a music teacher who had a bowel obstruction and died vomiting his own faeces. “I couldn't not imagine that being me,” he said.

“If there's a way to avoid that kind of horrible death, when someone is just dying anyway and really much might as well be dead and everyone agrees, can we look at that?”

Mr Dye said he holds nothing against his MP Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who has said he plans to vote against a change in the law as he is concerned about palliative care "not being good enough to give people a real choice". But Mr Dye added: “I'd like to think that palliative care can be improved at the same time as assisted dying being an option.

"Say for example I'm in a lot of pain and even the best palliative care can't do anything about that, I can imagine a situation in which it would be the best thing for me, for my family, to have this option."

Nathaniel Dye shared his cancer story at the Labour manifesto launch.
Labour MP Kim Leadbeater’s assisted dying bill is expected to propose giving terminally ill adults with less than six months to live the power to shorten their deaths if they wish. Strict safeguarding measures are expected to include the patient needing to have mental capacity to decide and for two doctors and a judge to sign off each case.

Seven current and former nurses have sent a letter, published by Dignity in Dying, urging MPs to support the Bill. The signatories, including two palliative care nurses, a general nurse and a senior nursing assistant, said: "We are joined by a single wish - all of us want choice.

"For most, palliative care in hospice, hospital or at home will help them have the death that they want. But we feel we have to speak up for those for whom palliative care cannot relieve suffering, or provide the peaceful and painless death that everyone deserves.”

High-profile voices for change include Dame Esther Rantzen, who is terminally ill, while the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and actor and disability campaigner Liz Carr have voiced their opposition.

Dr Gordon Macdonald, chief executive of Care Not Killing, insisted MPs must reject the Bill, saying "the safest law is the one we currently have". He said: "This Bill is being rushed with indecent haste and ignores the deep-seated problems in the UK's broken and patchy palliative care system, the crisis in social care and data from around the world that shows changing the law would put pressure on vulnerable people to end their lives.”

[sawmiller]

Another tragic case of someone wanting to end their own life through cancer:

A 38-year-old man who is dying of cancer has backed calls to legalise assisted dying.

Nathaniel Dye played a key part in Labour’s election campaign after sharing his cancer story at the party's manifesto launch, the Mirror reports. The music teacher is now pleading with MPs to think of the “profound difference” they can make by giving people control over their deaths.

Mr Dye has stage 4 incurable bowel cancer. which has spread to his liver, lungs and brain. He said he believes giving terminally ill people the option of assisted dying is the “kind” and “compassionate” thing to do.

He makes the plea as a Bill to legalise assisted dying is expected to be published in full on Tuesday ahead of the first vote on the issue on November 29. In an interview with the Mirror, Mr Dye spoke about experiencing a “humongous tsunami” of pain when he suffered a bowel obstruction in January last year.

He said: “My internal monologue was a whimper. I was calling for my mother and she'd been dead for years. Pain makes you lose your dignity.”

Mr Dye has now teamed up with campaign group Dignity in Dying after hearing devastating stories of death - including one of a music teacher who had a bowel obstruction and died vomiting his own faeces. “I couldn't not imagine that being me,” he said.

“If there's a way to avoid that kind of horrible death, when someone is just dying anyway and really much might as well be dead and everyone agrees, can we look at that?”

Mr Dye said he holds nothing against his MP Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who has said he plans to vote against a change in the law as he is concerned about palliative care "not being good enough to give people a real choice". But Mr Dye added: “I'd like to think that palliative care can be improved at the same time as assisted dying being an option.

"Say for example I'm in a lot of pain and even the best palliative care can't do anything about that, I can imagine a situation in which it would be the best thing for me, for my family, to have this option."

Nathaniel Dye shared his cancer story at the Labour manifesto launch.
Labour MP Kim Leadbeater’s assisted dying bill is expected to propose giving terminally ill adults with less than six months to live the power to shorten their deaths if they wish. Strict safeguarding measures are expected to include the patient needing to have mental capacity to decide and for two doctors and a judge to sign off each case.

Seven current and former nurses have sent a letter, published by Dignity in Dying, urging MPs to support the Bill. The signatories, including two palliative care nurses, a general nurse and a senior nursing assistant, said: "We are joined by a single wish - all of us want choice.

"For most, palliative care in hospice, hospital or at home will help them have the death that they want. But we feel we have to speak up for those for whom palliative care cannot relieve suffering, or provide the peaceful and painless death that everyone deserves.”

High-profile voices for change include Dame Esther Rantzen, who is terminally ill, while the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and actor and disability campaigner Liz Carr have voiced their opposition.

Dr Gordon Macdonald, chief executive of Care Not Killing, insisted MPs must reject the Bill, saying "the safest law is the one we currently have". He said: "This Bill is being rushed with indecent haste and ignores the deep-seated problems in the UK's broken and patchy palliative care system, the crisis in social care and data from around the world that shows changing the law would put pressure on vulnerable people to end their lives.”

Assisted dying is a difficult and emotive area to address - it is therefore more important that we do. The issue will not just ‘go away’. Glad this is being discussed and with Parliament

[mygiddypant]

Stovic, 'not for resuscitation' or DNR as it is known, will have been discussed with the patient via medical professionals before being put into place. It's not something Consultants/Doctors choose to do.

My view on assisted dying:

When, as I have, sat and watched several family members and close friends die a slow painful death through cancer, did I wish I could have granted their request to end all the pain and suffering they were going through. Only they knew what pain to their body, was really doing to them.

All of them at the time were compos mentis and all of them stated variations of how they wish they could just, 'take something', 'give me a needle to end it all', 'I just wished they could help me die quicker', I heard all of that and it broke my heart to see them suffering through their last few months.

My dear Mum, on multiple occasions, told several individual family members that if it was legally available, she would have gone to sleep that very day. Instead she had to go though months of undignified living growing weaker by the day and eventually wracked in pain before she finally passed. We as a family saw her discomfort and the painful expressions on her face when they were moving her in bed in her last few weeks.

I see no reason why any person being of sound mind and the correct procedures were followed in a timely manner, should not be denied to end their own life. We now entrust that this is carefully debated by all legal, medical, professional bodies and the correct decision is made to legally allow assisted dying.

I fully believe we as individuals should be allowed to end our own lives, it's ours to end no one else. I fully support this to be passed as law and the sooner the better.

So sad to hear of your personal experience. Palliative care can be brilliant, but sadly it's not available to all. As Kerr points out, we currently
treat animals better than humans.

[mygiddypant]

You generally find that the key supporters of Assisted Dying are those who have some personal connection with an individual who is/has been terminally ill and has/had to endure suffering. Unless you have experienced the indignity and suffering which some medical conditions impose on some terminally ill people, you really don't have the full range of information to make a decision on the acceptability, or not, of Assisted Dying.

Those who object tend to be concerned about slippage and the possibility that the legislation would allow an ever broadening raft of people to opt to end their lives early and the possibility that vulnerable individuals might be bullied into ending their lives by unscrupulous relatives. Others object on religious grounds with which I have no truck.

The way that legislation is being proposed suggests to me that it will be watertight and only those in desperate need will qualify. I sincerely hope that the vote goes in favour of assisted dying - the alternative doesn't bear thinking about.

This gets my vote.

[avondalemiller]

I think this is like having Blood transfusions,.................if you disagree don't have one, but don't stop those who do want one.

You can put way of thinking to lots of contentious arguements.

[sawmiller]

Just noticed MPs have agreed to give this a chance to pass into law - please make it happen. Someone very dear to me would benefit hugely from this in the next few years.

[Brin]

Just noticed MPs have agreed to give this a chance to pass into law - please make it happen. Someone very dear to me would benefit hugely from this in the next few years.

Saw, I?m so glad this has now passed the first stage.

Having seen the dreadful way my beautiful Mum passed and more family and friends before her, I truly hope the person very dear to you doesn?t have to face the same pain riddled end.

My thoughts and love to you and your family for now and the future.

[Scum-Triumphant]

Today?s debate and vote brought out the very best of our parliament and democracy.
There was no histrionics, no party politics, no childish name calling, no whipping, no dishonesty
Grown up and passionate debating, respectful to opposing views, a free vote and a close result.

After years of bad behaviour and selfishness, today was a shining example of how the people trusted to make laws on our behalf should behave.

[Stansmate]

I watched my dad - a slinger from Steelos suffer from throat cancer over 2 yrs plus - he did all the treatments in the late 60's but it came back.

After numerous operations he was in awful pain and needed morphine twice a day, went down to less than 6 stone and as a 16 yr old I had to carry him upstairs - for him he passed in peace in his sleep but seeing ur dad sit crying in pain and a shadow of who he was - it was and he knew it a release

I'd challenge anyone to see what I and me mam went thru to say a dignified end wasnt the right thing to be an option🥲

[Stancliffe]

I am essentially supportive of the bill, but I do feel this should have been a national referendum as I believe it is that important a decision and such a big change. A few hundred MP?s shouldn?t be given this one to decide as it is non party political, with a lot voting based on their religious beliefs, or personal experiences and not based on the mood of their constituency.
Which after all it is their job to represent.
At least the bit of media I?ve seen they weren?t jeering, cheering, here herring and all the other public schoolboy antics.