NEWS AND COMMENT
Pharmacist driven to break a bad law.
The Daily Telegraph has been following another case relating to assisted suicide / murder. Pharmacist Bipin Desai was accused of giving his 85 year old father a lethal drink containing…
Dementia and Alzheimer’s increasingly the leading cause of death
n October 2016 the Office of National Statistics reported that in 2015 dementia and Alzheimer's were now the leading cause of death in England and Wales. We discussed this in…
When is it right to turn off Life Support?
The Daily Mail recently reported a case of a 74 year old woman in a minimally conscious state, whose daughter has won a court case to have her mother's life…
Update on Omid T’s High Court Case
Omid T suffers from Multiple Systems Atrophy. An incurable condition which has permanently reduced his quality of life below the level he is able to accept. It is not a…
Is “Mercy Killing” ever the right thing to do?
The BBC, and a number of newspapers, (see the Ayrshire Post), report the story of Ian Gordon who smothered his wife of 46 years with a pillow as "a final…
MS Sufferer Colin Campbell’s deferred assisted death raises important questions about help for the disabled
In April 2017 MS sufferer Colin Campbell publicly stated his intention to end his life in Switzerland on June 15th 2017. Due to the intervention of fellow MS sufferer Rona…
Progress in Victoria, Australia
MDMD is pleased to see that an assisted dying bill in Victoria is making good progress, having passed a vote in the lower house by 47 to 37. The Bill…
Lord Carey explains his change of mind on Assisted Dying
In a short Radio 4 programme in the series "Why I Changed My Mind", broadcast on 18th Sept 2017, former archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, explains why, in 2014, he…
Court Ruling no longer needed before life-support is withdrawn from patients with severe illnesses
In a landmark ruling a judge has ruled that in future, in decisions concerning the withdrawal of life-support, including artificial feeding and hydration, a judge's consent is no longer required…
Preferences for care at end of life when mental capacity is diminishing
An interesting scientific study of attitudes in UK and USA towards end of life care and assisted dying in the face of worsening dementia, was published in April 2017 in…
New research on the increasing amount of care people need at the end of life.
A paper recently published in the Lancet (and available online), has been reported widely. The headline statement is that "the amount of time spent needing daily care at the end…
Should a right-to-die extend to those with psychiatric conditions?
The BBC report the suicide and background of Canadian Adam Maier-Clayton who took his life in April 2017, aged 27, following a history of psychiatric illness including a condition that…
Spectator article on suicide workshops
MDMD could hardly ignore a recent article in the political weekly The Spectator. Its author, Jessica Berens, attended one of Dr Philip Nitschke’s ‘£50 suicide workshops’, along with '80 or so men…
MDMD Founder Dr Michael Irwin Discusses His End-of-life Plans
The Sunday Times today published an article on the end of life plans of MDMD founder Dr Michael Irwin. (The organisation he founded was the Society for Old Age Rational…
Farewell to Lord Joffe
MDMD bids farewell to one of the pioneers in the battle to legalise assisted suicide in the UK. Lord Joffe of Liddington, who died on 18 June 2017 at his…
A Good (Assisted) Death in Canada
Canada legalised a limited form of assisted dying in 2016. A long article in the New York Times gives a detailed and inspiring account of John Shields who died by…
Dementia sufferer plans to go to Lifecircle
The Mail on Sunday published a story about MDMD supporter Alex Pandolfo who suffers from Alzheimer's and is planning to end his life at Lifecircle in Switzerland. It is a…
Suspended sentence for failed mercy killer
The BBC and the Guardian report the particularly tragic story of 95 year old Denver Beddows who admitted battering his 88-year-old wife Olive with a pan and a hammer at…
MS Sufferer heading to Switzerland while he still can
Colin suffers from the Primary Progressive form of MS. He intends to go to Lifecircle in Basle to end his life on 15th June while he still can. He told…
Avoiding Prolonged Dementia
Dementia is now the leading cause of death in England and Wales. How can we ensure we don't suffer from it for longer than we wish?
