Take action: ask your GP or your doctor friends, colleagues, or family members to support assisted dying

The British Medical Association (BMA) has launched its first-ever members’ survey on assisted dying. Doctors will be asked whether the BMA should actively support, oppose, or take a neutral stance on assisted dying for adults of sound mind, who are either terminally ill or incurably suffering.

When MPs last debated assisted dying reform, the BMA’s opposition was one of the key reasons they did not vote for a change in the law. But, now we have a chance to make history – by making the case for compassionate, legal, and safe assisted dying and asking GPs or doctor friends, colleagues, or family members to show their support.

Changing the British Medical Association’s stance on assisted dying would be a decisive step forward in our campaign.

If enough doctors respond, the BMA could change their stance in support of a new, compassionate assisted dying law.

Please act quickly and email your GP and any other doctors you know today. Doctors must respond to the survey by 27 February 2020.

Our suggested email is listed below – please adapt the email and add your own thoughts when sending your message, as sharing your personal opinion can have a real impact. P.s. Don’t forget to edit the text to be appropriate for who you are writing to.

Find your GP practice on the NHS website

Dear Dr ___________,

The British Medical Association (BMA) is surveying its members on the topic of assisted dying. I hope you don’t mind, but I’m writing to you as your patient/friend to ask you to consider my views when casting your ballot.

I don’t think it’s right that the UK’s prohibitive assisted dying law means that more than one person a week in the UK travels to Switzerland to end their life. This is double what the number was five years ago, and is despite the best efforts of palliative care.

There is a better way, and more countries than ever, including Canada, have now legalised assisted dying and demonstrated the best way to protect patients, their families, and doctors through a robust and open system of safeguards.

I’m asking you to support the choice to be given to the terminally ill and incurably suffering to have a legal, compassionate, and safeguarded assisted death, like nearly 90% of the public agree we should.

Please vote in support of assisted dying in the BMA survey.

Yours sincerely,

___________