Dear Friend,
At the British Medical Association’s recent annual conference, doctors decisively rejected attempts by anti choice campaigners to undermine their neutral stance on assisted dying. The majority in our favour grows year on year, a huge win for the campaign.
Getting the BMA to drop its opposition to law change was a long fight for doctors who support patient choice. The organisation had been opposed to assisted dying from 2006 to 2021. Every few years there would be a debate on assisted dying, but we knew those debates did not reflect the views of BMA members.
With the backing of thousands of people like you, Dr Jacky Davis (Dignity in Dying board member and Chair of Healthcare Professionals for Assisted Dying) secured a historic survey to find out what doctors really thought about this issue. This was the largest ever survey of medical opinion and uncovered the truth - most doctors wanted the BMA to change its stance and half of doctors personally supported a change in the law. The BMA was not representing the views of its members and its opposition to law change crumbled in the face of this new evidence.
The BMA, Royal College of Nursing, Royal College of Physicians and Royal College of Surgeons all have neutral positions on assisted dying due to the hard work of pro-choice supporters speaking up for patient choice. But we know anti-choice campaigners are pressuring them to reverse their policies. Will you chip in today so we can make sure these organisations continue to respect the voices of dying people?
Supporters like you worked tirelessly over years to achieve this victory. From writing to their doctors asking them to consider their patients’ views, to crowdfunding for an advertisement in the British Medical Journal. Some even passed out leaflets outside the BMA's annual meeting. It wouldn’t have been possible without you.
We can’t achieve law change without your support, Friend. Will you donate to Dignity in Dying today to ensure we keep up the fight against anti-choice medics?
Thank you so much for everything you do for the campaign. We’re closer than ever to achieving real change.
