Dr. Feargal Twomey:

There are a number of things I wish to come in on. I listened to Esther Rantzen’s podcast also. I deal with people who may soon die as part of my daily practice, and my sense is that there are three points. People are afraid of what will happen between now and the time they die. They are afraid of what dying is like. As was alluded to by Deputy Lahart, some people who have a belief system will wonder about what happens afterwards. There are three aspects of it.

I echo another point Deputy Gino Kenny made, which is that it is imperative and part of good healthcare for people to be involved in decisions around their care. Decisions about anybody's care should be shared with them. This is the case primarily with healthcare providers if it is a matter of healthcare, with the involvement of those they know and trust.

Speaking of the word “burden”, there is evidence from Oregon and Canada that up to 45% or 55% of those who inquire about what they in Canada call “medical assistance in dying” cite the fear of being a burden as one of the reasons for choosing assisted suicide.

Therefore, it is in the literature and in discussions around it where assisted dying, as it is called in its broadest terms, is available.