Category: United Kingdom

Euthanasia rulings in Europe stir right-to-die debate

CTV News

The Associated Press

PARIS  — One French court acquitted a doctor of poisoning seven terminally ill patients while another ordered physicians to suspend treatment for a comatose man, while Britain’s top court said the country’s ban on assisted suicide may be incompatible with human rights.

The decisions of the past few days are fueling the arguments of Europeans who say the duty of doctors is to end the suffering of those beyond treatment.

But emotions run high on all sides around the issue of euthanasia and assisted suicide, as is shown by the bitter case of the comatose Frenchman, Vincent Lambert. Hours after the French court sided with his wife in ordering an end to treatment, the European Court of Human Rights blocked the move at the request of his parents, in a rare late-night ruling. . . [Full text]

Catholic physicians who want to follow their conscience must ’emigrate,’ UK expert says

LifeSiteNews

Hilary White

LONDON, May 30, 2014  – Physicians who have strong moral objections to prescribing abortifacient drugs, including the morning after pill, should leave England, a meeting of the Catholic Medical Association was told.

This is not due to “discrimination” against conscientious Catholic physicians, but rather is a “total conflict of culture,” in the new post-sexual revolution social order, one that substantially rejects the Christian outlook on sex.

On May 17, the CMA’s annual conference heard Charlie O’Donnell, a consultant in emergency and intensive care medicine, say that “orthodox” Catholics training in obstetrics and gynecology would have such huge obstacles they would have little choice but to “emigrate.” Physicians are routinely faced with requests for artificial contraceptives, artificial procreation treatments or Viagra for “gay couples,” and there is simply no room left in the profession for the Christian worldview in medicine in Britain. . . [Full text]

Doctors who follow church teaching told to emigrate

The Tablet

Elena Curti

Catholic doctors who follow church teaching on sexual ethics cannot work as gynaecologists in Britain, the Catholic Medical Association (CMA) conference was told.

Charlie O’Donnell, a consultant in emergency and intensive care medicine, said the best advice he could give to an “orthodox” Catholic wishing to specialise in obstetrics and gynaecology would be to “emigrate”.

Dr O’Donnell told the conference at Ealing Abbey, west London, on 17 May that a Catholic training to be a consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology would soon find he or she had conscientious objections to such tasks as prescribing artificial contraceptives, giving unmarried couples fertility treatment or Viagra to gay couples. . . [Full text]

NHS to give sex change drugs to nine-year-olds: Clinic accused of ‘playing God’ with treatment that stops puberty

Mail on Sunday

Sanchez Manning, Stephen Adams

Children as young as nine will be given controversial drugs on the NHS to prepare them for sex-swap surgery, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

The treatment, which halts the onset of adulthood, is aimed at youngsters who believe they are trapped in the wrong body. But critics accused the clinic offering the puberty- postponing injections of ‘playing God’.

‘I think many people will be horrified at the thought of a nine-year-old being provided with a drug that effectively stops them developing and maturing naturally,’ said Conservative MP Andrew Percy.

Others insisted that undisputed research shows that the vast majority of under-16s who are troubled about their gender do not go on to take the drastic step of surgery. Many turn out to be gay, but no longer feel confused about whether they are male or female.

Although the gender treatment is reversible, there are concerns about the long-term effects on brain development, bone growth and fertility.

The drugs, known as hypothalamic blockers, stunt the development of sexual organs so less surgery is required if a child chooses to change sex after reaching adolescence. . . [Full text]

Pre-signing abortion forms is illegal, General Medical Council admits

Nearly 70 doctors who were found to be pre-signing abortion forms without knowing anything about the individuals involved were breaking the law, the head of the General Medical Council admitted

The Telegraph

Miranda Prynne

More than 60 doctors who pre-signed abortion forms without knowing anything about the women concerned did break the law, the head of the General Medical Council admitted last night as pressure grew on police to investigate.

Niall Dickson, chief executive and registrar of the GMC, said the 67 physicians were acting “against the law” but insisted no patients had come to harm as a result.

He claimed the practice of pre-signing the forms had become widespread but was “unacceptable” and vowed to “bring this unlawful and unacceptable practice to an end”. . . [Full text]