Noel Conway pleased with medics’ support for assisted dying bid
A terminally ill man who is challenging the law over assisted dying has spoken of his delight after the country’s leading medical journal came out in support of his battle.
Noel Conway, who lives near Shrewsbury, was speaking after The British Medical Journal (BMJ) published a series of articles on assisted dying.
In a Doctors.net. poll published in the magazine, 55 per cent of doctors said they agree that assisted dying, in defined circumstances, should be legalised in the UK.
The BMJ is now calling for the British Medical Association to poll its members and move to a neutral position on assisted dying.
Mr Conway, 67, was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a form of motor neurone disease, in November 2014. His condition is incurable and terminal.
He said: “I am delighted that such a prestigious publication is tackling this issue, which is so close to my heart.
“Since launching my legal case last year, in which I am fighting for the right to have the option of an assisted death in my final months, I have been outspoken about the urgent need for a change in the law.
“It is encouraging to see that so many in medical profession agree with me and indeed, the vast majority of the doctors and nurses I have come across in person support my views wholeheartedly.
“My campaign concerns not just me, but all terminally ill people, present and future, who want the right to die on their own terms.
“We are able to make decisions about our medical treatment and care throughout our lives with the support of our doctors - why should we be denied that freedom when it comes to our deaths?”
Sarah Wootton, chief executive at Dignity in Dying, said: “We believe that change is inevitable, and that the debate must move on from a question of ‘should assisted dying be legalised in the UK’, to ‘when’ and ‘how’.”
