Commenting on the vote in the Scottish Parliament on 17 March on the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, Dr John Holden, the chief medical officer of the doctors’ organisation MDDUS, said:
“Throughout the debate, MDDUS retained its neutral position on the principle of assisted dying, and that has not changed.
“However, we were clear in our stance that if an assisted dying regime were legalised in Scotland that doctors would need strong regulatory and legal protections, both for those who participated and for those with a conscientious objection.
“In the final stages of debate, we had significant concerns when provisions that made clear doctors would have ‘no duty to participate’ were removed from the Bill.
“It is vital that any future attempts to legislate on assisted dying will address these concerns directly and comprehensively from day one.”
ENDS
The Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland (MDDUS) is a mutual organisation that protects the professional interests 70,000 doctors and dentists across the United Kingdom, offering access to indemnity, support and legal advice.
For further information please contact Alison Hardie, Head of Public Affairs and Strategic Communications on ahardie@mddus.com
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