dignity,” he added.
CEO of Christian advocacy group CARE, Ross Hendry, called assisted suicide “medically dangerous and unethical”.
“The moral framework that underpins our approach to healthcare in the UK is based on the Christian belief that human beings, made in God’s image, are endowed with inherent dignity, and worthy of strong protection. And that a person’s value is not diminished by an illness or any other factor,” he said.
“The UK has huge work to do in this area, given a chronic underfunding of this aspect of healthcare. We’d also emphasise the need to enhance suicide prevention, and work towards a society where all lives are considered precious.”
“Involving doctors in the suicides of some people sends a regressive message that some lives are not worth living. The dangers of endorsing this idea are clear and were underlined in past parliamentary debates.”
Recent polling by research group Living and Dying Well has found that fewer than half of 18 to 24 year olds in the UK support legalising assisted suicide, while more than half of UK adults fear it would lead to the normalisation of suicide. Nearly half of the over 2,000 people surveyed expressed concerns that some patients would feel pressure to end their lives.
Mr Hendry continued, “Instead of legalising assisted suicide, which undermines human dignity and puts vulnerable groups at greater risk of abuse and harm, UK politicians should ensure that investment and infrastructure are in place to ensure high quality palliative care for all people.
