Proper legal safeguards are “vital” to protect the vulnerable from the temptation to “choose an early death”, a man living with Motor Neurone Disease has warned. Writing to The Guardian, Michael Wenham expressed “real reservations” about any proposals to remove end-of-life protections for those with “a prolonged incurable disease”. His letter was prompted by news that former TV presenter Dame Esther Rantzen has said she will travel to Switzerland to end her life at the Dignitas clinic if her cancer treatment is unsuccessful. “Day to day, I’m totally dependent on my wife and carer from dressing to bedtime. “As it should, the law provides a vital safeguarding function.”The House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee is due to report on its inquiry into assisted suicide in the coming months.

Source: The Guardian January 05, 2024 15:28 UTC