Bill poses major threat to disabled people, MSPs told
A proposed bill on assisted dying poses a major threat to disabled people, a number of campaign groups have said in a letter to MSPs.
Scottish Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur proposed the legislation – the third time such a bill has gone before MSPs – which would allow those with an advanced terminal illnesses to make the decision to end their lives.
The bill would allow such a decision to be made if the patient had the mental capacity required, made the request voluntarily and it was approved by two doctors. A mandatory 14-day reflection period will also be required, if the bill is passed.
But in a letter to MSPs, a number of disability groups urged them to vote against the legislation, claiming there could be a “slippery slope” towards widening the scope of the bill.
“We acknowledge the sincere motives that Mr Liam McArthur MSP, the bill's sponsor, and his supporters bring to his proposed legislation,” the letter said.
“We also acknowledge that the arguments brought forward by the bill's supporters seem coherent and logical when applied to a small group of very vulnerable individuals.
“What is not acknowledged is that the bill poses a major threat to a much wider population of people, notably those with long-term conditions and disabilities.
“However much the bill attempts to limit the scope of its application, there are two major reasons why socalled safeguards will not be sustainable in the long term.”
The correspondence was sent from the Better Way Campaign, Disability Equality Scotland, the Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living, the Glasgow Disability Alliance, Inclusion Scotland, Our Duty of Care, People First and Self-Directed Support Scotland.
The groups argued that it was difficult for doctors to accurately determine how long a person with a terminal illness had left to live and pointed to examples in other countries of the criteria being widened.
“The fear that AD (assisted dying) as an individual choice will evolve into a societal pressure to make that choice, is real and justified," the letter added.
“Changes in the type of people seeking AD show that over time, there is an increase in AD among those who are less well-off and for whom the cost of living actually means the cost of staying alive.
“The priority for disabled people is to secure the support they need to live independent and full lives like any other citizen.
“Our Parliament ought not to create an environment in which that priority - and the security that goes with it is prejudiced now, or in the future.”
Meanwhile, Nicola Sturgeon, inset, has said she is “veering away” from supporting the bid to legalise assisted dying in Scotland. The former first minister raised concerns the legislation could represent “the thin end of the wedge”, but said she had yet to reach a final decision.
Opponents fear the plans could see the lives of people who are ill or disabled “devalued”, with the Bishop of Paisley John Keenan branding it a “dangerous idea”.
But a poll conducted on behalf of Dignity in Dying, the campaign group, found more than three-quarters of Scots are in favour of a change in the law.
Writing in the Glasgow Times, Ms Sturgeon – who voted against past attempts – said she had “rarely been as conflicted on any issue as I am on this”.
She said she had expected to find herself “swaying in favour of the legislation” but instead was “veering away from a vote in favour, not towards it”.