Do you believe that extremely ill patients should be given help to end their lives if they choose? 'Voluntary suicide' (euthanasia) has been legalised in the Netherlands, Belgium and Oregon State of the USA, and is currently being debated in Britain.

A Bill that would allow terminally ill patients the right to choose medically assisted 'voluntary suicide' (euthanasia) was debated on Friday in the House of Lords. The House of Lords voted to delay the 'Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill' for six months, by 148 votes against 100, amid fears that it would be open to abuse. The vote took place after a day of debate on May 12th.

Polls have suggested that up to 75% of the public support the principle of Euthanasia, while members of the medical profession are against it by about the same proportion.

It is argued by those in support of Euthanasia, that certain extremely ill patients who live in continuous agony should have the right to choose to die, rather than stretch out their life till the painful end. Dignity in Dying, formerly the Voluntary Euthanasia Society, is campaigning for terminally ill people to be allowed to ask for medical help to die at a time of their choosing, with strict legal safeguards. It believes the current law forces people to make tough choices: some patients commit suicide early on in the course of a terminal illness, knowing they will be physically unable to do so later.

Currently, British law doesn't allow any medical help to patients wishing to end their lives. Lord Joffe introduced the new bill into the House of Lords. It proposes restricted medical help to offer terminally ill patients "indirect assisted dying". A doctor's role would be limited to writing out a prescription or providing an oral barbiturate for a patient to self-administer and die a peaceful death. Such help would be restricted to patients who are terminally ill with six months or less to live; suffering from unbearable pain; who are mentally competent; and have made persistent and well-informed requests to die. The Bill includes safeguards to protect vulnerable people, including an assessment by two independent doctors as well as consultations to explore alternatives. Medical staff opposed to the right to die would be allowed to opt out of helping terminally ill patients end their lives.

Christian groups have been lobbying against the Bill on religious grounds. The Archbishop of Canterbury was active in the debate urging peers to oppose the legalisation of Euthanasia.

Others oppose the legalisation of euthanasia on the grounds that it is open to abuse. They say that it could become a shortcut in dealing with the terminally ill or 'inconvenient, resource-intensive patients'. A lot of money, time and resources are spent in the care of terminally ill patients and there is the possibility that subtle pressures may work to promote assisted dying amongst these patients.

Dr Rowan Williams who led the argument against the Bill said that the pressures on doctors and nurses created additional danger. He said: "A target-obsessed NHS, managed with an eye to brisk traffic through its beds and reduction of expense, doesn't feel a very good place in which to have a reasoned and balanced discussion of assisted dying."

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