Dr. Regina McQuillan:

It is a very difficult situation when people are refusing things that can help them. Very often people refuse medication, such a chemotherapy, and often those decisions are balanced and well made. It is very difficult. I have had only one person talk about going to Switzerland. We were very happy to talk to him and advise him how to make his plans, although he did not actually do it in the end. Only one person ever that I dealt with stopped eating and drinking. It is very, very difficult. However, while it might be very difficult for some people, changing the law, the legislation or the society would harm more people than an individual person. For me, as a doctor, you are looking after the patient in front of you but you are aware of the wider patient group you might be dealing with and the wider patient group are people you have to see that day, people for whom you service or people you are not seeing because you are seeing other people. You are always aware of the wider patient group and wider society. For that reason, although I am aware of the distress a particular person may have, I must try to think about what would a change mean.