Dr Hilary Jones, who is a frequent guest on Good Morning Britain and Lorraine, says he would help a patient end their life if the law was changed to allow assisted dying
TV doctor Hilary Jones has disclosed that he would assist a patient in ending their life if the law permitted it.
The GP, often seen on ITV’s Good Morning Britain and the Lorraine show, characterised assisted dying for the terminally ill as “kind and compassionate”. He also warned that medicine could regress “back to the Dark Ages” if the proposed legislation currently under consideration at Westminster is rejected.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will be debated again in the House of Commons on Friday, with MPs expected to contemplate further amendments. As it stands, the Bill, which would only apply to England and Wales, would allow terminally ill adults with just six months left to live to request assistance to end their lives, subject to approval from two doctors and an expert panel.
Last month, MPs endorsed a modification in the Bill to ensure no medical professionals would be compelled to participate in assisted dying. Doctors already had an opt-out but the new clause extends this to anyone, including pharmacists and social care workers.
Dr Jones stated that medics are “looking over their shoulders because of the legal repercussions of the law” in its current form. Encouraging or assisting suicide is presently illegal in England and Wales, carrying a maximum prison sentence of 14 years, reports the Mirror.
When questioned about the potential impact of a change in law, Dr Jones commented: “It will relieve healthcare professionals who deal with terminal illness. “There are wonderful people who are caring and compassionate, who just live in fear of their actions being misinterpreted, of being accused of wrongdoing, and because of that fear, people at the end of life are often undertreated.
“People are looking over their shoulder because of the medications they’re using or the doses they’re using, it means that patients aren’t getting the best palliative care that they could have. And I think the Bill, if it passes, will alleviate a great deal of that, and put people’s minds at rest that they’re not going to suffer unnecessarily at the end of life.”
Dr Jones, a medical practitioner for over 45 years with experience working on cancer wards, revealed he has “always supported it (assisted dying)”.
He further added: “I’ve always felt it is the most humane, kind and compassionate thing that relatives and doctors can provide, knowing that that person’s wishes are respected and known, that there is full mental capacity and that they’re surrounded by love.
“And for me, it’s always been very clear.”
Asked if he would be willing to assist someone with their choice of assisted dying should the law change, he affirmed: “Absolutely, if I know the patient, I know what their wishes are, I see them suffering, and there’s nothing more I can do to help their suffering then, absolutely, I would hold their hand and help them achieve what they want to achieve.”
While some critics of the Bill have called on MPs to improve end-of-life care instead of passing laws on assisted dying, Dr Jones shared a personal story about his mother, a former nurse who died “suffering unnecessarily” despite receiving the “best possible palliative care” He believes she would be “proud of me speaking on this subject now, in the way I am”.
He expressed his respect for those who oppose assisted dying due to “religious beliefs, cultural beliefs and personal feelings” yet he emphasised the importance of personal choice in the matter.
Dr Jones stated firmly: “The bottom line is that I think it’s the patient’s individual choice. I think we should respect the right of the individual to choose what they want. This is not a mandatory thing. This is not being imposed on anybody.”
He also argued for the autonomy of individuals facing terminal illness: “And I think people should have the individual right to make a decision about how they end their life if they’ve got a terminal illness where there’s no prospect of cure and they’re suffering and they fear an undignified death.”
Quizzed on the chance of MPs giving the thumbs down to the Bill, Dr Jones remarked: “We would be back to square one, back to the Dark Ages, in my opinion, medically, and that would be a shame. I don’t think we would be advancing medicine if the Bill is not passed.”
Keep up-to-date with your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day by following us on Facebook at Daily Star.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
