Dr Keith Wilkinson, who spent 30 years working as a consultant anaesthetist at Noble’s Hospital, has been a vocal supporter of the controversial Assisted Dying Bill. In this open letter, he explains why he thinks terminally ill patients shouldn’t be denied the right to die and why the new legislation could mean more safeguards are in place for doctors than there are now...

Last October, I had a letter published in the local press in support of assisted dying.

My own views come from my experiences with end-of-life care throughout my career, as well as from seeing members of my own family at the end of their lives.

I know that for some patients, even the best palliative care can't relieve their suffering at the end of life.

The letter generated some positive responses from readers, and for me, one of them stood out:

'...Without doubt, this is an area of contemporary society that will be looked back on with total astonishment the way we look back on racial segregation or criminalising homosexuality...'

For those who oppose it, there are certain facts that cannot be denied:

In an article in the BMJ (British Medical Journal) in 2019, Arun Bhaskar, a consultant in pain medicine and President of the British Pain Society, explained his own views after reading an article published by Dignity in Dying titled 'The Inescapable Truth'.

He put it far more eloquently than I ever could when he said:

'...palliative care is not enough—we can and should legislate for assisted dying.'

He summarized by adding: 'Access to healthcare is a basic human right, but I feel that by denying our patients the choice of assisted dying, we are disrespecting them as individuals and disregarding their rights. To force someone to suffer against their wishes and endure a drawn-out death is torture. This is not acceptable in a civilized society. In my view, a change in the law to allow assisted dying in limited circumstances and with robust protection is the only appropriate response to the findings of this report.'

One of the main concerns voiced by opponents is the potential for vulnerable and/or disabled people to be disadvantaged in certain ways.

'Not Dead Yet' is one group representing disabled people which opposes assisted dying.

There seems to be an impression that all people with disabilities are against the concept, but from what I have read, this is simply not true, and there are many who support it.

The way to allay such anxieties is to have adequate safeguards in place.

It seems clear—to me at least—that Dr. Alex Allinson and his colleagues in Tynwald have this uppermost in their minds, and they are taking their discussions slowly and very seriously.

I have every confidence that this will happen prior to any legislation being passed.

Our politicians don't have to reinvent the wheel but can learn lessons from other jurisdictions such as Oregon, which have had assisted dying legislation in place for over twenty-five years.

For anyone who has concerns about whether assisted dying is needed, I would urge you to watch and read online about the experiences of Sue Biggerstaff, and the death of her husband on the island from a particularly aggressive form of Motor Neurone Disease.

Her story supports my own feeling that bringing in assisted dying is simply the right thing to do.

As I said in my earlier letter, I am at a loss to really understand why anyone would oppose it.

If they don't want to use it, they would never have to.

Some doctors might feel they are uncomfortable with being a part of the assisted dying process.

No doctor or nurse will be compelled in any way to become involved if it is against their wishes or beliefs.

On a personal note, I feel that having assisted dying legislation in place might make some of the very difficult end-of-life decisions easier for doctors.

With this new legislation, there will be far more safeguards than there are now.

I would again like to thank Alex for all of the important work he has done and continues to do, and I hope that legislation comes soon so that assisted dying becomes a reality for some who might request it at the end of their life.