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| The Big Questions on BBC One took place today in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh. |
The show took place at the Leith Academy, the very same venue as last year's programme in the Scottish capital. I made a contribution to the debate on assisted dying in today's programme. Last night, I informed you that Margo MacDonald MSP (Independent in the Lothians region) is relaunching her assisted suicide bill in the Scottish Parliament for the second time.
Hearing Lesley Close's story (from 18:42) about her brother John at the beginning of the debate on this issue was a very potent experience and I can certainly show sympathy with her and many others who have suffered from the fact that members of their family or friends have had to face up to the difficult reality of living with a deteriorating condition resulting in diminishing the quality of life. But I stated (from 36:37) my opposition to enabling assisted dying, because healthcare professionals, like myself, have a duty of care to protect the health of patients.
I fear that enabling assisted dying through legislation will contradict the principles of the code of ethics, for pharmacists and nurses, and good medical practice for doctors in terms of the care of patients (the list of healthcare professionals/healthcare professions is not exhaustive). Yet some people have pointed out to me that a patient's autonomy and decision making is also vital (and that is something I totally respect and agree with also). I certainly agree that a patient has an absolute right to be enlightened appropriately on issues surrounding their health, but does this necessarily equate to enabling assisted suicide when it can be argued that such a measure could be acting in contradiction of the general principles of protecting health and ensuring appropriate care.
This is a very difficult issue for everyone and should not be approached lightly. I deeply thought about the details of the bill that Margo has brought to Holyrood late last night and into the early hours of this morning, but yet if I were an MSP voting on that bill then I wouldn't be able to support it for the reasons outlined above.
However, I shall continue to follow the latest developments and, despite my disagreements, have to commend Margo MacDonald MSP for her effort and the way she has put her arguments forward. Genuinely, she is a very much valued member of our public life here in Scotland, regardless of what stance you take on this debate.
On another note, it was absolutely wonderful to meet so many familiar people from last year's debate in Edinburgh. What I love about programmes like this is that you tend to find many like minded people, despite the difference in opinion on a variety of issues. That is what I find so appealing about programmes like The Big Questions and it's a very much valued programme on our television screens which really gives everyone, audience member of viewer, the opportunity to really discuss and explore the issues that really affect all of us in this world, let alone here in Scotland.
I'm hoping to come back once again to this show's audience. But next time, I really would love to gain a front row seat, because I genuinely feel that I can offer a lot more to those debates. Yet I genuinely don't know how I can specifically achieve this, other than just continuing to engage with the issues through this blog and in other ways.
I encourage people to try and attend shows like The Big Questions. You will be more than welcomed by the whole team from Mentorn Scotland (who produce the programme) and you will be looked after well especially by the show's presenter, Nicky Campbell. It's important to hear a variety of people's views. Once you attend for the first time, you will want to come back. It's a unique experience.
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