Euthanasia in the United Kingdom? Why talk about end-of-life care, assisted death now?
Case:
There are approximately 24,000 patients in a vegetative state who are kept artificially alive at an average annual cost of £50600 per patient, allowing us to estimate these cost at £1,214 billion/year. If every patient's stop to receive health care, it would be this kind of saving.
This does not take into account tax returns caused by transfers of funds or property rights from deceased persons to possible beneficiaries, which can be estimated at a tax return of around £2 to 3.5 billion.
Considering that our government is facing a new financial hole of £23 billion, it becomes necessary to question the creation of a favourable law under certain conditions to the cessation of care for these people in a vegetative state.
Although the savings of stopping life care for patients in a vegetative state would only represent a 5.28% repayment of the £23 billion excess debt, the tax return estimate can represent between 8.7 and 15.2% of this excess debt.
The current British policy on stopping life care for vegetative people
(note 1).
Since a decision handed down on Monday, July 30, 2018 by the British Supreme Court, the agreement of the family and medical staff is now sufficient to stop treatment and let the patient die.
Across the Channel, judicial agreement is no longer essential to end the care of a patient in a permanent vegetative state.
According to this British Supreme Court, the agreement of the family and medical staff is now sufficient to stop treatment and let the patient die.
“No life is given up easily,” wrote Judge Jill Black in the decision rendered by the Supreme Court. “Yet there may come a time when life must be given up because it is in the best interest of the patient.” The judge added that the Court's decision was in line with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). According to the National Health Service (NHS), the British public health system, there are 24,000 patients across the country in a permanent vegetative or minimally conscious state. The new decision, which will apply in England and Wales, allows the Anglo-Saxons to align themselves with their European neighbours: in Belgium, France, Germany, or Portugal, a court decision is not necessary to suspend care of a patient in a vegetative state. In Ireland, on the other hand, legal recourse is still required.
The government report of February 29
On February 29, the British Parliament looked at a report about assisted death. The report did not make any big changes or new rules.
The group who made the report wanted people to talk about whether the law should change. They did not ask for a debate in the House of Commons.
The report suggests the Government should think about what to do if some parts of the UK want to allow euthanasia. Right now, euthanasia is illegal in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. Some places, like Jersey and the Isle of Man, are thinking about making it legal.
The group also says everyone who is very sick should be able to get good care to help them feel better at the end of life. They heard that care is not always the same for everyone.
Some people, like Dr. Gordon Macdonald, are sad that the government did not say “no” to euthanasia. He thinks the health system has problems and needs more money, and that hospices are having a hard time.
Most people in the UK do not agree with euthanasia. But because the government does not have a lot of money, they might think about making new laws for some patients who are very sick and do not have a good quality of life.
Note 1: Source: Bioedge, Michael Cook (02/29/2024)