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MSP renews assisted suicide bid MSP confident on assisted suicide
(about 2 hours later)
The results of a consultation on Independent MSP Margo MacDonald's attempt to legalise assisted suicide are to be revealed. The MSP behind plans to legalise assisted suicide hopes to bring legislation on the issue to the Scottish Parliament by the autumn.
More than 400 people and organisations have responded to the consultation on her "End of Life Choices Bill". Margo MacDonald's comments came as she revealed about 400 people and groups on both sides of the debate responded to a consultation on her proposals.
At least 12 MSPs are supporting her bill but she needs 18 before it can be considered by a Holyrood committee. The independent Lothian MSP is still short of the 18 MSPs needed to have a bill considered by Holyrood.
The Lothian MSP, who has Parkinson's disease, said she wanted to be able to choose a dignified death. Ms MacDonald said she was confident of making up the numbers.
Mrs MacDonald, 65, said people should have the right to choose the time and place of their death. The MSP, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, has expressed her own wish to choose a dignified death.
Her proposals would incorporate the patient's right to choose to end his or her life, with assistance from a physician, into the principles of palliative care. Ms MacDonald, 65, has also won the backing of Edward Turner, whose mother, Dr Anne Turner, chose to end her own life in a Swiss clinic while suffering from the degenerative neurological condition, progressive supranuclear palsy.
The MSP said a doctor helping a patient to die could be "the last caring act of physician who is caring for a patient". When people go to somewhere like Switzerland, they are forced to go before their time Edward Turner
Under her proposals people would need to be registered with a doctor for "a considerable period of time" before they could request help to die. Ms MacDonald is also using the consultation responses - which are currently being analysed - to clarify the measures contained in the proposed End of Life Choices Bill.
They would also have to make two requests for such help, at least 15 days apart. "There are people who will be undecided about their eventual opinion on physician-assisted suicide, assisted dying, choices at the end of life - call it what you like," said Ms MacDonald.
"They're not quite certain yet, but they do recognise there is a wish in public opinion surveys for the proposal to become a firm recommendation in the contents of a bill."
Dr Turner was recently portrayed by Julie Walters, in a TV dramatisation of her story.
Speaking at Holyrood, her son said: "When people go to somewhere like Switzerland, they are forced to go before their time.
"My own mother was terrified of losing the ability to travel and she went at a relatively early stage in her condition.
"If assisted dying had been legal in the UK, then she would have had extra months of life."
Ms MacDonald's legislation, which has been supported by at least 12 MSPs, would incorporate the patient's right to choose to end his or her life, with assistance from a physician.
People would need to be registered with a doctor for "a considerable period of time" before they could request help to die and would have to make two requests for such help, at least 15 days apart.
Meanwhile, Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray has called on the Scottish Government to boost the number of specialist nurses who deal with Parkinson's sufferers.Meanwhile, Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray has called on the Scottish Government to boost the number of specialist nurses who deal with Parkinson's sufferers.
He claimed there were only around 25 such nurses, while about 10,000 people had the illness. He claimed there were only about 25 such nurses, while about 10,000 people had the illness.