|TOP|Following the decision of a retired GP travelling to Switzerland to end her life through euthanasia, the Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch has expressed strong opposition towards the issue, claiming that euthanasia is an act of assisted “suicide.”

Bishop McCulloch said: “This would change the current law prohibiting assistance with suicide and make it legally possible for terminally ill people to request and receive from their doctors drugs that would enable them to commit suicide.”

In an address at its conference in Manchester, the Bishop voiced concern as attempts are being made in Parliament to officially approve euthanasia.

But the British Medical Association lacked leadership in the euthanasia debate, taking a neutral stance on the “hugely important issue” — a decision which Bishop McCulloch described as “disappointing and disturbing.”
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In the February issue of CRUX, his diocesan monthly, the Bishop said the issue of euthanasia will not fade, although it failed attempt to introduce legislation in the House of Lords. Lord Joffe is currently pressing for the passing of his Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill, mainly due to arising fear for people who die painfully and experience an accompanying loss of control and dignity in the process.

But that, said the bishop, need not happen. Bishop McCulloch said: “With good palliative care, most deaths can be dignified and freed from great pain. This country is a world leader in palliative medicine and our hospice movement is a prime example of providing care that enables people to ‘die well’.”

He continued: “It is the environment and lack of appropriate palliative provision that needs to be changed — not the law.”|AD|

UK-based alliance Care Not Killing agreed with the Bishop’s statements, calling for the government to reject assisted suicide in favour of moves to improve palliative care. The coalition brings together groups involved with human rights healthcare and palliative care and faith-based organisations.

Nearly 20 groups have already signed up to the initiative of opposing Lord Joffe’s Bill on euthanasia and all other attempts to legalise physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia for the terminally ill in the UK. Opposing groups include the Association for Palliative Medicine of Great Britain and Ireland, the British Council of Disabled People, RADAR and the Christian Medical Fellowship.

Baroness Finlay, Professor of Palliative Medicine in Cardiff, a member of the Lords Select Committee on the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill, has given her support to the initiative: “The UK has led the world in the provision of palliative care which strives for true dignity in dying. We need to promote better understanding of the process.”