Current Affairs

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14 March 2023
College Statement on The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill.
Introduction
The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh has no organisational position on the issue of assisted dying[1] in Scotland. We are aware that Fellows and Members have a diverse range of views, as do clinicians across Scotland and the rest of the UK. This was reflected in a 2020 BMA membership survey which indicated that 50% of doctors supported changing the law on prescribing drugs for eligible patients to self-administer to end their own life, but only 36% would participate in any way in the process. The survey found that BMA Members in Northern Ireland were generally more opposed than those in the other nations, but that no significant differences were found between members in England, Scotland and Wales.
As such, our role is neither to support nor oppose attempts to introduce legislation regarding this issue. However, we believe we should and can provide information that informs the professional, public and political debate on the matter.
We believe that the absence of any organisational position should make the information we provide explicitly impartial, and thus, trusted.
Proposed legislation on any matter must be open to detailed scrutiny and related debates be well informed. The purpose of this statement, which we intend to be the first of several, is to inform those debates, specifically by trying to ensure that relevant information is as widely available as is possible.
Specific points
The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill is expected to be introduced to the Scottish Parliament imminently where it will begin to be examined in Committee.
[1] Note – we appreciate that there is not agreement on the use of the word “dying” or “suicide” in this context, but use “dying” here as this is the word used in the current Bill.