FEATURE
ASSISTED DYING: ECONOMICS AND ETHICS
The economic and market forces surrounding healthcare are shaping the debate on assisted dying, says Ivor Campbell, Chief Executive of Snedden Campbell.
Aſter many years of delay and prevarication, the UK is finally grappling with an issue that has long been a source of polarised debate and ethical handwringing around the world.
The House of Commons has voted in favour of a bill to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales, marking a significant advancement of the issue globally. A separate bill is currently being considered in Scotland.
The proposed legislation, known as the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, would permit terminally ill adults, who meet strict eligibility criteria, to receive medical assistance to end their lives.
It is the beginning of a lengthy process, as the bill will now be subject to extensive scrutiny and potential amendments in both houses of Parliament. The possibility of the bill failing to pass and not becoming law remains, such is the contentiousness of the issue.
What makes the current debate different from any that has taken place in the UK to date, is context. The conversation around assisted dying has always been framed in terms of individual autonomy and the right to choose the time and manner of one's death. While these are undoubtedly important ethical considerations, with people living longer than ever before, and with a growing requirement to exercise their rights as consumers, the issue is increasingly driven less by ethics than by market forces.
As societies grapple with ageing populations and ever-increasing healthcare costs, the pressure to allow individuals to opt
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for a planned exit, thereby reducing the financial burden on healthcare systems, is making it increasingly difficult to resist.
Previously, debate tended to focus on cases of unbearable suffering where individuals with terminal illnesses sought a merciful release, and it was largely confined to the realms of medical ethics and individual compassion.
Because people are living longer, oſten with multiple chronic conditions and with the associated healthcare costs that entails, they are more aware than ever of their rights as consumers, including the right to choose how they live and, crucially, how they die.
This shiſt in perspective is not accidental. It reflects broader societal trends where individualism and consumer choice are highly valued. People want control over their lives, and for some, this extends to their death.
The rise of online communities and information-sharing has created a culture of empowerment in which people are less willing to accept traditional medical paternalism.
They question the need for their lives to be prolonged beyond what they consider acceptable, particularly when their quality of life is severely compromised. In this landscape, the idea that an individual should have the final say over their body and their end-of-life experience, is gaining traction.
Lurking beneath the surface of this narrative is a more pragmatic, economic reality. Healthcare systems worldwide are straining under the weight of ageing populations.
www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
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