Promoting palliative care, Opposing euthanasia and assisted suicide

What is the Care Not Killing Alliance?

Care not Killing is a UK-based alliance that brings together human rights groups, healthcare groups, palliative care groups, faith-based organisations and concerned individuals with the aims of:

1. Promoting more and better palliative care
2. Ensuring that existing laws against euthanasia and assisted suicide are not weakened or repealed during the lifetime of the current Parliament
3. Influencing the balance of public opinion further against any weakening of the law

Care not Killing seeks to attract the broadest support among the very many in the medical profession and allied health services and in society at large who are opposed to euthanasia.

How is Care Not Killing organised?

Broadly based on the successful coalition model adopted by the Mental Health Alliance, the Care Not Killing Alliance brings together organisations as core members who together set and maintain the strategy of the Alliance. Organisations can also join as associate members, and individuals can join in their own right. By joining the Alliance member organisations and individuals sign up to the above three aims and to collaboration in achieving them, but otherwise retain complete autonomy. To keep bureaucracy to an absolute minimum, as with the Mental Health Alliance, the Care not Killing Alliance is not constituted as a separate legal entity. Policy work is co-ordinated through the steering group, and core members retain oversight of the direction and contribute through their expert policy staff. The media officers of core group members, as with the Mental Health Alliance, play a key role in ensuring the Alliance maintains a single co-ordinated media strategy at all times, led by core member organisations.

Who does Care Not Killing represent?

We aim to represent the large and growing number of organisations and individuals who want to see good palliative care promoted and no change in the law to allow so-called 'assisted dying'. We are led by a steering group representing less than twenty organisations including the Association for Palliative Medicine of Great Britain & Ireland, the British Council of Disabled People, RADAR, Medical Ethics Alliance, the Church of England and the Christian Medical Fellowship. Our initial meeting in December 2005 was attended by 70 people representing 52 organisations, along with peers and Members of Parliament. The meeting, which was chaired by Lord Chan, was addressed by Baroness Finlay, Professor of Palliative Care in Cardiff, Dr Frank Clark, Chairman of the Scottish Partnership in Palliative Care, Lord Brennan and Professor John Wyatt, Professor of Neonatal Paediatrics in University College, London.

How did Care Not Killing start?

Care Not Killing was started by a small group of people working for organisations in the current steering group, working together in consultation with sympathetic MPs and Peers.

The first meeting of the steering group was held in late July 2005 in the lead up to the debate in the House of Lords on the Select Committee report on Lord Joffe's Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill on 10 October 2005.

How many groups are involved in Care Not Killing?

The number of organisations involved in the Alliance is increasing all the time and by winter 2007 numbered 44. Member organisations include a range of human rights groups, healthcare groups, palliative care groups and faith-based organisations who are sympathetic to our aims, along with prominent parliamentarians and professionals. We expect that many more organisations will join the alliance over the coming months.

What is Care Not Killing's agenda and strategy?

Our agenda is to achieve our three aims outlined above. Our strategy is to:

• Maintain a website - www.carenotkilling.org.uk - with links to well founded research on the effects of legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide;
• Provide a simple compelling and clear campaign slogan 'Care not Killing' and supporting evidence to marshal support against Bills to legalize euthanasia or assisted suicide during the lifetime of the next Parliament
• Develop a network of expert spokespeople from core group member organisations and produce powerful advocacy in the media against euthanasia
• Fund opinion polls and support research where needed to increase support
• Monitor developments in the courts
• Seek to build up and mobilise mass political support to be deployed with maximum impact on the parliamentary process as and when necessary
• Campaign positively for increased provision of better palliative care, including more funding for hospices and better residential care for the infirm elderly and for the dying, recognising that the fear of dying alone and in pain is a powerful driver of the pro-euthanasia movement.

What are your next steps and who do you expect to join Care Not Killing?

We plan now to build our support base and contribute increasingly to public dialogue on palliative care and assisted dying. We expect the alliance to have very broad appeal both amongst individuals of all faiths and none, and from human rights groups, healthcare groups, palliative care groups and faith-based organisations.

Is Care Not Killing a religious organisation?

Care Not Killing involves people of all religious faiths and those of no faith who support our aims. We include disability groups, healthcare providers and professional organisations. The alliance aims to appeal to those of all faiths and none by adducing powerful arguments based on reason alone, by avoiding any appeals to extremism, and by drawing on and developing a well-researched evidence base. People from most of the major faith groups are involved. Our October 2005 letter to all MPs and Peers expressed concern about euthanasia from nine religious leaders representing the six major world faiths. We believe that people from all religious faiths and none have both a right and responsibility to contribute to this important debate. But we are not a religious organisation.

How is Care Not Killing funded?

Initial work in establishing the Care not Killing Alliance was undertaken with grants provided by organisations representing on the steering group and through the work of individuals from founding bodies working as volunteers. The ongoing work of the alliance is met by subscriptions and donations from member organisations and concerned individuals. All our steering group members are UK-based organisations and all our funds are derived from UK sources. Our bank account has thus far been managed by Christian Medical Fellowship, one of our steering group member organisations, which played a key role in setting up the alliance. As a well-established professional organisation with over 4,500 UK doctors from all specialities as members, CMF was well-placed to provide this initial administrative support. The charity Mind provides a similar service for the Mental Health Alliance. All funds received by Care Not Killing are used exclusively for the work of the alliance.

Where are the Care Not Killing Headquarters?

Care Not Killing has no formal HQ at present and no staff. All of the work so far has been carried out by staff working for the organisations involved in the steering group and by volunteers. We have a PO Box number and web address and a small media team, again provided and funded by steering group member organisations. Different aspects of administration are shared amongst the core organisations. The steering group meets regularly either physically or by conference call.

Does Care Not Killing represent mainstream medical views?

One of our steering group members is the Association for Palliative Medicine of Great Britain & Ireland, which represents over 800 UK specialists in palliative care. CMF has over 4,500 UK doctors as members, and many other doctors belong to the Medical Ethics Alliance. We have appreciable support from prominent members within the UK Royal Medical Colleges. This is not surprising given that many Royal Colleges including the Royal College of General Practitioners, Royal College of Physicians, Royal College of Anaesthetists and Royal College of Nursing are firmly opposed to any change in the law to allow assisted dying. In all major opinions polls in the last five years only between 22 and 38% of doctors have favoured any change in the law. Most doctors in the UK are firmly opposed to assisted suicide and this is also the official position of the British Medical Association. The World Medical Association (WMA) also is firmly opposed to both euthanasia and assisted suicide.

Who can join Care Not Killing?