Assisted Dying

Who Makes the Final Decision

Jo Cartwright, Lesley Close, Terry Pratchett, Jo Cartwright, Lesley Close, Terry Pratchett, Lesley Mary Close

• Publisher: Peter Owen Publishers
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN: 9780720610147
• eBook ISBN: 9780720615500
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Ethics in Medicine
• Index: Social Sciences

The latest developments in the arguments for and against assisted dying, with a foreword by Terry Pratchett

Assisted dying is perhaps one of the most divisive issues of the modern age, generating endless headlines and moral debates. Published in conjunction with the organization Dignity in Dying, this important book provides a forum for expert commentators in a variety of fields, including religion and medicine, to explore whether the most humane response to the torment and helplessness of certain severely incapacitated individuals is to assist them in their wish to die.This collection isedited by two proponents of greater choice at the end of life, and all the contributors support the need to change the law. Starting from a position that the current legal situation is untenable, detailed case studies shed light on the negative consequences of the current state of the law which forbids assisted dying, and the lack of choices offered todying people who are suffering intolerably at the moment. The book's case studies punctuate chapters, written by a variety of authors, about different aspects of the subject: these chapters attempt to address the concerns raised by the case studies.

Table of contents

• Front cover
• About this Book
• About the Contributors
• Title page
• Dedication
• Acknowledgements
• Foreword
• Contents
• Introduction by Lesley Close and Jo Cartwright
• 1. A Death at Dignitas John Close: ‘More like a Thing Than a Human Being’
• 2. A History of Assisted Dying in the Uk by Jo Cartwright
• 3. Three Suicides, Three Reasons to Die Liz Smith’s Parents: ‘We Just Sat There, Waiting for this Great Moment’ Neil Love: ‘Time to Go While It’s My Choice’
• 4. A Faith View of Assisted Dying by Reverend John Cartwright
• 5. Aiding and Abetting Suicide Nigel Goodman: ‘I Am Suffering and I Want to Die’
• 6. Assisted Dying around the World Today by Davina Hehir and Philip Satherley
• 7. Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking Efstratia Tuson: ‘Talk to the Captain; They Can Just Drop Me Overboard!’
• 8. A Nurse’s Perspective on End-of-Life Care by Andrew Heenan
• 9. Good Care But a Bad Death Colin Marriage: ‘Another Week? I Can’t Do Another Week!’
• 10. The Future for Assisted Dying in England and Wales by Sir Graeme Catto
• 11. A Recent Death at Dignitas Ron Clinch: ‘Want to Share this One, Brian?’
• 12. The Right to an Assisted Death by Ray Tallis
• Notes
• Useful Addresses
• Index
• Copyright
• Contacts page
• Some authors
• Back cover