BHA welcomes new GMC guidance on end-of life care

Thursday, 20 May 2010 12:00 AM

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has welcomed new guidance by the General Medical Council (GMC) on end-of-life care.

The guidelines make clear that providing life-prolonging treatment that is "excessively burdensome" or "disproportionate in relation to the expected benefits" when a patient is nearing the end of life may not be in the best interests of the patient and thus not always the best course of action. The guidance also makes clear that "doctors have an ethical obligation to show respect for human life; protect the health of their patients; and to make their patients' best interests their first concern."

BHA Head of Public Affairs Naomi Phillips stated, 'Recognising that life has an end and that unnecessarily prolonging this natural process can increase patient suffering is very important. At the same time a good balance has been struck in the guidance because it advises that doctors should start from the assumption that life should be prolonged, although not at any cost, and that patients should be in charge of decisions about their care for as long as possible.

'Enjoyment of life is what gives life its quality and is of enormous importance. The BHA's work on the issue of end-of-life care revolves around the belief that increasing suffering and removing patients' right to choice in the name of prolonging life should be avoided. We therefore applaud the new guidance as a positive contribution to this debate.'

The BHA responded to the consultation on the draft guidelines in July 2009. It is our position that matters of end of life care are inseparable from our view that there is a right to die with dignity and that this includes the availability of physician assisted suicide for the terminally ill. In our response, we advised the GMC to ensure that their guidance will reflects any future changes in legislation which reform the law on assisted dying.

Notes

For any further questions or information, please contact Naomi Phillips at naomi@humanism.org.uk or on 020 7079 3585.

Read the GMC guidelines 'Withholding and withdrawing - guidance for doctors'

Read the BHA's response to the draft guidelines.

The BHA is a member of the Dying Matters Coalition. Dying Matters is a broad based and inclusive national coalition of just under 7000 members, which aims to change public knowledge, attitudes and behaviours towards death, dying and bereavement.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) is the national charity representing the interests of the large and growing population of ethically concerned, non-religious people living in the UK.

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