My Death, My Decision with Phil Cheatle

One of life's 2 certainties is that we will all die (.......the other being tax!). People are living longer, but more of us are spending our final months or years with a very poor quality of life which some consider to be below the level they personally would wish to experience. 

How much choice should we have in deciding the manner and timing of our death? Under what circumstances should people have legal access to drugs that can provide a peaceful death? What involvement should doctors have in the safe provision and controlled use of such drugs? 

These are complex ethical questions of our time, with strong opinions and concerns on all sides of the debate.  And things are beginning to change. A recent BMA (British Medical Assoc) survey showed that now 50% of their members support some form of assisted dying; the Royal College of Physicians and Royal College of Nursing have both moved from antagonistic to neutral positions; a randomly selected citizens assembly set up by the States of Jersey recently voted 78% in favour; and earlier this year Spain became the 4th European country to permit it in some circumstances  

Phil Cheatle is the Lead Campaign Commentator of the group My Death, My Decision (MDMD), which campaigns for a change in the law that currently prevents Assisted Dying in the UK.  Phil worked as a research scientist with Hewlett Packard before getting involved with the assisted dying campaign. The unpleasant end of life experience of his mother and aunt, who both suffered from dementia and other conditions, convinced him of a need for a change in the law. 

Between 2015 - 2019 he was the leader of My Death, My Decision, overseeing its growth into a formal campaign organisation run by a dedicated and skilled board of directors and a small staff. Phil has been a member of Humanists UK for over 10 years, and is a member of Bristol Humanists. 

In building up MDMD Phil worked very closely with Humanists UK who have provided invaluable support.  MDMD My Death, My Decision is a grassroots campaign group that wants the law in England and Wales to allow those who are terminally ill or intolerably suffering the option of a legal, safe, and compassionate assisted death. https://www.mydeath-mydecision.org.uk/  

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To join the talk, use the following zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82188293893?pwd=ajZwS1NFWEx6dTd5U015aUNqQWVBQT09