Society ‘should debate’ end of life care, says RCP

The issue of end of life care and euthanasia has been hotly debated for many years, with the Royal College of Physicians admitting that it was a subject which should be debated by society.

The College’s president, Sir Richard Thompson, made this statement in response to a notice made by focus group, Dignity in Dying.

He said: “As the population continues to age, a higher burden of complex and debilitating illness will ensue. For a minority of patients the prospect of a diminishing quality of life increasingly bereft of autonomy is deeply frightening and society should debate how to address their concerns.

“However when last canvassed in 2008, although they were divided, a clear majority of our members did not support a change in the law. Their concerns came from a belief that many of its advocates do not recognise adequately the clinical realities of managing serious illness and disability. And while uncomfortable to discuss, we also need to consider how the complex dynamics of patient-family relationships may bear upon the choices a patient makes.