Sources Notes - Original
‘What are the barriers to the legalisation of euthanasia in the UK’
Euthanasia - Medical Ethics and Law at the end of life
Definition of key terms
Active euthanasia – When you do something with the intent of ending someone’s life. So,
this may be, for example, injecting a drug to kill someone.
Passive euthanasia – Passive euthanasia is where you are with-holding/withdrawing from
treatment.
(NB This term is not particularly helpful as euthanasia is illegal, but the act of with-
holding/withdrawing treatment is good clinical practice.)
Active euthanasia is illegal, however, with-holding from treatment is good clinical
practice.
Physician assisted suicide – This is where a physician (doctor) provides a patient with a
treatment which ends their life. The doctor doesn’t give the patient the treatment; the
patient takes it themselves.
Passive euthanasia is highly confusing, as it is thought to be unplugging life support, and if
the intent is such to end their life, you are committing a crime. Therefore, passive
euthanasia is not a good term to use.
, Sources Notes - Original
Referenceable to form the basis of my argument – Dr Cox and Lilian
Patient Lilian is suffering from Arthritis (and she is a palliative patient). Her disease will never
go away, however medically, the effects of the disease can be subdued. Lilian tells her
consultant, Dr Cox, asks her consultant for him to do something to end her life. The patient
is struggling, and the symptoms aren’t being managed. This is a case from 1992, meaning it
is dated. It is now a seminal case referenced about euthanasia.
Most severe case of rheumatoid arthritis, and it has gotten to the point where her arthritis is
becoming unbearable. Other side effects have been aroused as a reason for this, such as
internal bleeding, septicaemia, and vasculitis, meaning that there are further conditions
affecting her will to live.
Doctor Cox injected a drug into Lilian, taking her life. His legal case is as follows – his actions
sound as if it was arthritis, as he administered a drug. However, it can be seen that there is a
loop hole - this loop hole being the doctrine of double effect. It is based on your intentions.
As patients are on high doses of drugs, these drugs can shorten life expectancy, so it is
worth noting that a sufficient amount of drugs to relieve patients of pain and to give them a
dignified death. The point of the doctrine of double effect is that despite it can shorten their
life expectancy, if their intent is to give the drug to improve their symptoms and to make
them more comfortable, and the attempt is not to shorten their life, this is legal.
Barriers
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0141076818803452
In this journal article, we have seen a huge number of issues been outlined. This source goes
into detail about all of these factors, however, outlines what the issues are in the summary.
, Sources Notes - Original
