End of Life Care

• How much does it cost on average to go to DIGNITAS?

  Approximately £10,000
• The 1961 Suicide Act prohibits aiding another in committing suicide.
• Assisting another person's suicide can face you with up to 14 years imprisonment according to the 1961 Suicide Act.
• Assisted Suicide is legal in countries such as Switzerland, Belgium, The Netherlands, etc.
• How many people went to DIGNITAS in 2021?

  213
• What is problematic about assisted dying?

  Many religions are against it as it is against the Sanctity of Life.
• What is problematic about assisted dying?

  There can often be a financial barrier to assisted dying. It could be seen as a 'luxury', especially in countries that it is illegal in, forcing people to travel to have it carried out.
• Some Hindus believe that killing another person gives bad kamma so therefore assisted dying is wrong. However, some believe that helping to end a painful life is a good deed and may grant good kamma.
• Pope Francis said that "Euthanasia and assisted suicide are a defeat for all."
• The Roman Catholic Church believes that assisted dying is always wrong because life is a gift from God and only God decides when people should die.
• What does BMA stand for?

  British Medical Association
• What is problematic about the BMA's viewpoint on assisted dying?

  The BMA has conflicting views on assisted dying - they don't want people to prolong their lives unnecessarily but they oppose assisted dying.
• What is problematic about the BMA's viewpoint?

  They do not want non-voluntary euthanasia to be legalised but they do allow for some forms of it such as weaning patients in vegetative states off of nutrients to allow them to die naturally.
• Humanists believe that assisted dying is a morally acceptable action. Euthanasia is not recommended by Humanists as an alternative to palliative care.
• Non-voluntary euthanasia is where the choice to end your life is not made by you but by others.
• There is an estimated 4000 - 16,000 people in a Permanent Vegetative State each year in the UK. The cost for medical treatment for PVS is £90,000 per person annually. The average starting salary for a nurse is £27,000.
• Who was Charlie Gard?

  Charlie Gard was born in 2016 with exceptionally rare genetic conditions that caused his health to deteriorate rapidly. He had severe brain damage, could not open his eyes or move his limbs, and was unable to breathe unaided. Doctors said it was unclear if he could feel pain or not.
• What happened to Charlie Gard?

  Doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) consulted with experts and came to the conclusion that his life support should be switched off. His parents disagreed and judges at the High Court ultimately decided to agree with GOSH. Charlie's life support was turned off a week before he turned one.
• Who was Tony Bland?

  Tony Bland was a 17 year old boy who was crushed by the crowd during the Hillsborough Disaster, where 97 people were killed or suffered life-changing injuries due to overcrowding at a football game in 1989. Tony Bland ended up in a Permanent Vegetative State. His life support was switched off in 1993, nearly 4 years after the disaster, with the support of his parents, doctors, and the House of Lords.
• Why would legalising assisted dying be good?

  • It allows us dignity in death
  • It would free up resources for those who need them
  • People won't have to fear being prosecuted for supporting their loved ones.
  • Making it legal with suitable guidelines would protect doctors.
• Why would legalising assisted dying be bad?

  • It removes the possibility of the person recovering.
  • Vulnerable people may be coerced into it for others' selfish reasons.
  • It goes against the Sanctity of Life argument, which many religions emphasise.
  • Would it mean that ill and disabled lives are worth less than others?

• Euthanasia is the practice of ending life to relieve suffering.
• What does the Bible say about death?

  "Thou shall not kill" - Exodus 20:13
• Why is the Bible problematic in regards to murder and death?

  It says "thou shall not kill" but also states that there are certain sins in which death is the punishment inflicted e.g. incest.
• John Locke said "an entity is a person if and only if it is conscious".
• What is the Theseus' Ship argument in relation to End of Life Care?

  Even if consciousness changes, a person retains their identity through a

  set of historical circumstances which are unique to that body

  In some circumstances a person is not the person they were before

  however their memory must be good enough for continuity.
• What is the Slippery Slope argument?

  The Slippery Slope argument suggests that once we allow one group of patients to die by euthanasia, then other groups will follow suit until eventually everyone can request euthanasia. This could lead to a society where people feel pressured to end their own lives rather than live with illnesses or disabilities.
• What is the Hedonic Calculus?

  A way of measuring the amount of pleasure and pain that comes from an action and therefore if it creates the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people. It has 7 factors; intensity, duration, certainty, propinquity (immediacy), fecundity (frequency), purity (will pain come after?), and extent.
• How much money does Strathcarron Hospice have to raise each year?

  £8.5 million