As most people know Dignitas is the Swiss suicide clinic founded in 1998. I decided to go on the internet and find out some news stories about it after the news that "there is a strong case for allowing assisted suicide for people who are terminally ill in England and Wales" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16410118). The case, made by The Commission on Assisted Dying, was that "it was possible to allow assisted dying within a strict set of rules to ensure it was not abused" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16410118), the whole story is on the BBC News link.
Digging around on the internet I found an article on MailOnline on the 20th October 2011 about nurses not being able to tell patients about Dignitas or even offer it up as a suggestion even if asked about it by patients. They were even told they could go to prison for talking to patients about assisted dying, (whole story at http://tinyurl.com/7z6op7d).
Another story, run by The Telegraph on the 8th January 2012, gives information about a "clampdown" on the clinic because of the increasing number of British people who are travelling to Switzerland to die. Legalisation that could be put in place aims to make the patients have a longer counselling service to make sure that they want to die, (whole story at http://tinyurl.com/ldqh75).
The final story, a famous one, about a 23 year old rugby player who took his life at Dignitas. He was one of the youngest British man to take his life at Dignitas and was the first time it was really noticed by the British public, (whole story http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/oct/18/11).
These stories really bring the ethical issues to light, that people do really want to end their lives for one reason or another, as they don't see that it's worth living for anymore. The issue for doctors is that it is their duty to keep these patients alive, and giving them an option of suicide doesn't follow with their duty.
Digging around on the internet I found an article on MailOnline on the 20th October 2011 about nurses not being able to tell patients about Dignitas or even offer it up as a suggestion even if asked about it by patients. They were even told they could go to prison for talking to patients about assisted dying, (whole story at http://tinyurl.com/7z6op7d).
Another story, run by The Telegraph on the 8th January 2012, gives information about a "clampdown" on the clinic because of the increasing number of British people who are travelling to Switzerland to die. Legalisation that could be put in place aims to make the patients have a longer counselling service to make sure that they want to die, (whole story at http://tinyurl.com/ldqh75).
The final story, a famous one, about a 23 year old rugby player who took his life at Dignitas. He was one of the youngest British man to take his life at Dignitas and was the first time it was really noticed by the British public, (whole story http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/oct/18/11).
These stories really bring the ethical issues to light, that people do really want to end their lives for one reason or another, as they don't see that it's worth living for anymore. The issue for doctors is that it is their duty to keep these patients alive, and giving them an option of suicide doesn't follow with their duty.
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