Overview

The majority of doctors and nurses involved in specialist palliative care reject the legalisation of physician assisted suicide (PAS). This book explores the reasons why the healthcare professionals who have the most experience of caring for dying patients should object to a change in the law. Debate about euthanasia and PAS often arises in response to a well publicised tragic case of unrelieved suffering. Such heart rending stories do not reflect the fact that the majority of people dying have a dignified death. There is a marked disparity between medical intuitions and the philosophers' arguments about euthanasia and PAS. It seems that part of the moral constitution of a doctor is a commitment not to intend the death of a patient and to protect them from harm. The perspective of those who are privileged to care for thousands of dying patients and their families should inform the debate about PAS. This book will enable those who are not working within palliative care to gain an insight into the scope of this speciality and to understand why legalisation of PAS should be resisted to maintain and improve care of dying patients.

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9781846191862

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'Fitting and timely...particularly useful for those practicing in the U.K. because of the chapter on legislation in the U.K., but it will also be valuable to those practicing in the United States because of its examination of the experience of both Oregon and the Netherlands...a concise overview of the issues as well as a notable starting point for further research...5 Stars' DOODY'S REVIEW SERVICE

Author Information

David Jeffrey, Fraser Macfarlane

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