MR PAUL Flynn, Newport West, MP seeks to deceive us by quoting in his speech on the Assisted Dying Bill the issue of double effect – that is when a patient is given medicine to relieve their pain that may have the effect of hastening their death.
It is of course all down to intention. The intention is to relieve pain and the effect may shorten the person’s life, which is completely different to giving a dose with the intention of ending the person’s life.
This may seem like splitting hairs but it is a most important principle.
Mr Flynn should have a chat with our own Baroness Finlay, an expert in palliative care, who has a Palliative Care Bill pending in the House of Lords, which I trust will have Mr Flynn’s support should it enter the floor of the House of Commons. That is of course assuming that this is the procedure.
Paul Botto
Cardiff
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