BMA calls for doctors' right to refuse in Isle of Man assisted dying bill

The British Medical Association outlined members concerns with the bill

Doctors should be able to refuse to play a role in assisted dying "for any reason" should Manx laws change, the British Medical Association has said.

The union, which has a neutral stance on the issue, has written to Alex Allinson to set out the concerns of members about his Assisted Dying Bill.

The bill is due for its second reading in the House of Keys on 31 October.

The call comes as a poll by Dignity in Dying, which supports the bill, found 66% of the 1,200 respondents backed it.

Under the proposed laws, Manx residents with a terminal illness would be given the right to choose to die if they had a life expectancy of less than six months.

Doctors' rights

In its letter on behalf of its members, the British Medical Association (BMA) outlined a series of "key issues" within the bill.

These included a move to an "opt-in" system to give doctors greater choice of whether and to what extent they participated in the process of assisted dying, and the right to refuse to for any reason.

Legal protection from discrimination would also be needed as members raised "fears of being ostracised" over the decision to participate or not, as well as safe access zones to protect patients and staff from abuse, the BMA said.

Provision in the bill that prevent doctors initiating discussions about assisted dying with patients would "set a dangerous precedent" and were not supported, it said.

Physicians should be able to present "all reasonable and legally available options" to patients, the union added.

A recent survey by the Isle of Man Medical Society found 74% of the 108 doctors who responded were against the introduction of the proposed laws.

However, campaigners from Dignity in Dying said its poll showed 53% of respondents who backed the bill its poll had indicated strong support for assisted dying for terminally ill, mentally competent adults.

Urging Manx politicians to support the proposed law change, the group's chief executive Sarah Wootton said many jurisdictions had shown "this choice can be provided safely and compassionately".

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