Liverpool Care Pathway Update
On Monday 26 January, Care Minister Norman Lamb MP convened roundtable talks with Parliamentarians, doctors and patients' representatives, including our Campaign Director, Dr Peter Saunders. Following these talks, which Dr Saunders described as 'very constructive', the Minister announced a far-reaching review to consider the various issues raised, with an independent chair. It will consider the findings of three existing reviews being conducted by the Association of Palliative Medicine ('on the implementation of the pathway and the experience of professionals'), Dying Matters ('on the experience of the patient and their loved ones') and the End of Life Care Strategy ('on complaints surrounding the LCP and end of life care in hospitals'). The announcement received widespread media attention(BBC, Telegraph, Guardian, Mail*).
- Our representatives have spoken publicly on the issue, including two interviews given by Dr Saunders to the Telegraph* and Chinese state television*.
- The LCP has been defended by leading healthcare organisations and a group of more than 1,000 doctors*.
- The Minister had already announced proposals to alter the NHS Constitution in favour of families and loved ones becoming more involved with decision-making.
- One testimony that has drawn a lot of attention is that of Dr Kate Granger*, who as a terminally ill cancer patient and geriatric consultant has knowledge of both ends of this issue.
In other news:
Voters in Massachusetts rejected physician-assisted suicide in a referendum on the same day as the US Presidential election.
BBC's Panorama presented the groundbreaking case of Scott Routley, a Canadian thought to be in a permanent vegetative state for a decade who has been able to tell doctors that he is in no pain. This has led to speculation regarding possible legal ramifications as to the care of PVS patients.
A study by the University of Zurich has shown that a quarter of people who accompany someone to commit assisted suicide suffer serious psychological distress.
The tenth anniversary of the first Briton to go to Dignitas to kill himself received widespread media attention, in the same month that Switzerland's parliament voted against a bid to toughen controls on assisted suicide, rejecting concerns about foreigners travelling to the country to die.
Two new bills attempting to legalise assisted suicide are expected in the New Year, one from Lord Falconer in the House of Lords and one from Margo Macdonald MSP in the Scottish Parliament.
Care Not Killing DVDs
Request our free DVDs (Disabled people speak on assisted dying & Doctors speak on assisted dying) and pass them on to your friends, families, colleagues, schools, places of worship, or organisations. Email info@carenotkilling.org.uk
Speak out
Please keep writing your comments online in response to articles in the media. Engage in discussions and write letters to newspapers and politicians with your views. Medical members can write to BMA News and medical journals.
Personal Stories
As the risks of any weakening in the law in relation to assisted suicide become increasingly highlighted, a number of you are writing to the Care Not Killing Alliance with your own experience of why you feel the law is best kept as it is. Send us your own story to info@carenotkilling.org.uk. Please include whether or not you are happy for your story to feature on our website, and visit our Personal Stories page.
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