The latest in United Kingdom

Daniel James Suicide

2010-11-30T13:50:23Z

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Euthanasia by the Backdoor?-End of Life, Care of the Dying in the UK

2010-11-03T09:49:57Z

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Next Of Kin: Death Of A Loved One? Which Way Now!

2010-11-02T21:33:08Z

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Physicians' Religious Views Linked to Care Decisions

2010-09-11T13:02:01Z

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Religious Beliefs Influence Doctor's End-of-Life Treatment

2010-09-11T10:47:56Z

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UK study: Nonreligious doctors hasten death more

2010-08-26T07:15:28Z

UK study: Nonreligious doctors twice as likely to hasten death of terminally ill patients

Doctors who are atheist or agnostic are twice as likely to make decisions that could end the lives of their terminally ill patients, compared to doctors who are very religious, according to a new study in Britain.

Dr. Clive Seale, a professor at Barts and th...

Voluntary euthanasia

2010-10-05T17:09:45Z

Assisted suicide
Main article: Assisted suicide
Assisted suicide is a form of voluntary euthanasia where the patient actively takes the last step in their death. The term "assisted suicide" is contrasted with "active euthanasia" when the difference between providing the means and actively administering lethal medicine is considered important, though in practice, the distinction can appear very hard to draw. For example, Swiss law on assisted suicide allows assisted suicide, while all...

This Blog Post is About Death. Please Read it Anyway.

2010-11-02T14:14:39Z

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Britain the best place to die: global study

2010-07-14T10:16:08Z

Britain leads the world in the quality of care it provides for the dying, leaving many developed nations lagging a long way behind, according to a study released Wednesday.

State support for end-of-life care and an effective network of hospices put Britain top of the list of 40 countries, despite not having the best healthcare system overall, said a report by the General Medical Council, the Daily Telegraph said doctors must let dying patients refuse food and water ...

multiple scelerosis woman wins right to die fight directv bbc news

2010-10-09T22:59:28Z

A woman suffering from multiple sclerosis has made legal history by winning her battle to have the law on assisted suicide clarified. Debbie Purdy, 46, from Bradford, UK may go to Switzerland to end her life but feared her husband could be held responsible for helping her. No one has been prosecuted for assisting someone's death, however the current law says they could potentially face 14 years in prison. The Law "Lords" said that the law was not as clear and straightforward as it should be. ...

DPP clarifies law on assisted suicide

2010-06-12T18:32:35Z

Prosecutors in England and Wales received fresh guidelines on assisted suicide to make it easier for them to decide whether to charge people who have helped sick loved ones to die.

However, mercy killers would still face the full force of the law, said Keir Starmer, the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The new guidelines follow a legal ruling and calls for clarification afte...

New guidelines on assisted suicide

2010-06-12T18:32:35Z

Prosecutors in England and Wales received fresh guidelines on assisted suicide to make it easier for them to decide whether to charge people who have helped sick loved ones to die.

However, mercy killers would still face the full force of the law, said Keir Starmer, the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The new guidelines follow a legal ruling and calls for clarification afte...

England clarifies law on assisted suicide

2010-06-12T18:32:33Z

Prosecutors in England and Wales received fresh guidelines on assisted suicide to make it easier for them to decide whether to charge people who have helped sick loved ones to die.

However, mercy killers would still face the full force of the law, said Keir Starmer, the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The new guidelines follow a legal ruling and calls for clarification afte...

Mercy killers in Britain could face murder charge: DPP

2010-04-16T06:57:52Z

Mercy killers will face the full force of the law under new guidelines on assisted suicide, the head of Britain's Crown Prosecution Service said in comments published Thursday.

But those who respond to a request from a loved one to help in their suicide are unlikely to face prosecution, Keir Starmer wrote in the Times, trailing new g...

England clarifies assisted suicide law

2010-04-16T06:57:38Z

Prosecutors in England and Wales received fresh guidelines on assisted suicide Thursday that reduce the likelihood of people facing criminal charges for helping ailing loved ones to die.

However, mercy killers are still open to the full force of the law, said Keir Starmer, the Director of Public Prosecutions for England and Wales.

He announced the new guidelines following calls for clarification in the law after dozens of cases where ...

Mercy killers in England 'will not escape justice'

2010-04-16T06:57:48Z

Mercy killers in England will face the full force of the law under new guidelines on assisted suicide, the head of the country's prosecution service said in comments published on Thursday.

But those who respond to a request from a loved one to help in their suicide are unlikely to face prosecution, Keir Starmer wrote in the Times newspaper, trailing new guidance he will unveil later in the day.

"Assisted suicide invo...

BBC presenter faces more questions over 'mercy killing'

2010-06-12T18:32:27Z

A veteran BBC broadcaster is expected to be questioned by police for a second day on Thursday after admitting he smothered an ex-lover who had AIDS.

Ray Gosling, 70, made the confession in a television programme this week about assisted suicide, ahead of the publication of new government guidelines on the issue next week.

He sai...

BBC TV presenter arrested over mercy killing of lover

2010-06-12T18:32:27Z

A veteran BBC broadcaster was arrested on suspicion of murder Wednesday after admitting he smothered an ex-lover who had AIDS, highlighting intense debate over assisted suicide.

Ray Gosling, 70, made the confession in a television programme this week about assisted suicide, ahead of the publication of new government guidelines on the ...

ICU stay before death common in the U.S.

2010-04-16T09:40:38Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who die in a U.S. hospital are nearly five times as likely as their counterparts in England to have spent part of their final hours in an intensive care unit (ICU).

What's more, over the age of 85, ICU usage among terminal patients is eight times higher in the U.S. than in England.

Intensive care services are expensiv...

Modern death who cares

2010-10-22T12:16:08Z

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GPstobe back work for private firms

2010-10-22T11:52:32Z

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Palliative care networks failing to get off ground

2010-10-22T11:33:09Z

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The 'Sympathetic' Road to Death: An Elderly Duty?

2010-10-24T09:55:00Z

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Assisted Suicide ? Survey of UK nurses highlight some of the ongoing issues

2010-10-06T12:13:37Z

As the assisted suicide debate continues many issues have come to light around the argument for and against its legalisation in the UK. Disputes about the patient?s right to choose have often overshadowed the vital role played by health care professionals and the huge responsibility, ethical dilemmas and legal consequences they could face in such a contentious and sensitive situation.

There is already evidence to suggest that many health care professionals are opposed to assisted suici...

Charges unlikely for helping suicide in England

2010-04-16T10:10:53Z

Top English prosecutor: Assisted suicide unlikely to lead to criminal charges in many cases

England's top prosecutor unveiled new guidelines that could decriminalize many forms of assisted suicide, saying Wednesday that most people who help close friends or family kill themselves aren't likely to face charges.

Keir Starmer, the director of public prosecutions, warned that there were no guarantees but said those who helped adults end their own lives were unli...

New guidelines clarify assisted suicide laws

2010-04-16T10:10:42Z

People who help their relatives commit suicide are unlikely to be prosecuted in England and Wales provided they were motivated by compassion and the victim had a strong desire to die, officials said Wednesday.

The director of public prosecutions (DPP), Keir Starmer, unveiled new guidelines on how assisted suicide is prosecuted here, after campaign groups demanded clarification of the law.

However, he stressed that assisted suicide rem...

Arrest me, says GP who paid for patient's suicide

2010-10-22T07:54:07Z

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Doctor who paid for patient's suicide wants to be arrested

2010-10-22T07:54:03Z

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Doctor paid for patient's suicide wants to be arrested

2010-10-22T07:54:07Z

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Why can't my mother choose how she dies?

2010-10-22T07:53:45Z

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Hand-in-hand British musician, wife commit suicide

2010-04-16T11:21:00Z

He spent his life conducting world-renowned orchestras, but was almost blind and growing deaf — the music he loved increasingly out of reach. His wife of 54 years had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. So Edward and Joan Downes decided to die together.

Downes — Sir Edward since he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 — and his wife ended their lives last...

Dutch euthanasia expert to give Londoners tips on suicide

2010-10-21T10:38:56Z

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1 in 3 GPs would help terminally ill die

2010-10-21T10:35:42Z

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Elderly British couple end lives at Swiss clinic

2010-04-16T16:11:35Z

The assisted suicides of an elderly British couple at a Swiss clinic rekindled the fierce debate Friday over whether Britain should modify its laws to allow terminally ill patients to end their lives with a doctor's help.

A neighbor in the city of Bath, where Peter and Penelope Duff lived, said they were suffering from advanced stages of cancer.

"They were so ...

Suicide on TV condemned in Britain

2010-04-16T13:52:48Z

Suicide on TV in Britain condemned as reality television gone a step too far

The scene is difficult to watch, even for viewers inured to the subject of dying by a steady diet of violent Hollywood and television fare. Craig Ewert, a former computer scientist from Chicago, is shown lying in bed with his wife ...

Assisted suicide film stokes right to die debate in Britain

2010-04-16T13:53:30Z

A documentary showing a terminally-ill man ending his own life at a Swiss clinic was telecast in Britain on Wednesday, reigniting a debate about assisted suicide.

Craig Ewert, 59, a former university lecturer from the United States, suffered from motor neurone disease and chose to end his life rather than endure ...

UK TV station defends plans to show man's death

2010-04-16T13:53:37Z

British TV station defends plans to show terminally ill man's death at Swiss suicide clinic

A British television channel plans to show a film about an American man who commits assisted suicide at a Swiss clinic, reigniting debate over an issue that strongly divides opinion in Britain. Opponents called the broadcast a ratings-grabbing stunt.

Feelings about the issue ran so high Wednesday that

Assisted suicide film stokes right to die debate

2010-04-16T13:54:03Z

A film showing a terminally-ill man ending his own life at a Swiss clinic has reignited the debate about assisted suicide in Britain, where it was due to be screened Wednesday.

Craig Ewert, a 59-year-old former university lecturer from the United States, suffered from motor neurone disease and chose to end his li...

Briton is helped to die at Swiss clinic

2010-10-21T10:28:57Z

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Q&A: End-of-life strategy

2010-04-16T14:44:03Z

What is the end-of-life strategy?

It's the government's plan to give people more choice and control over where they end their lives.

How many people die per year?

Around 500,000 die in England each year, of whom almost two-thirds are over 75. The most common causes of death include heart disease, cancer, stroke and dementia.

Where do most people die?

More than half (58%) of people die in hospital, u...

What the law says on assisted suicide

2010-04-16T12:39:53Z

Assisted suicide is outlawed in the UK, with the 1961 Suicide Act making it illegal to "aid, abet, counsel or procure the suicide of another". Helping somebody to die carries a prison sentence of up to 14 years.

But how that law is interpreted is unclear. The director of public prosecutions (DPP) has not prosecuted any relative of the 100 Britons who have gone abroad to end their lives at clinics run by the Swiss organisation Dignitas.

Debbie Purdy, who has multiple sclerosis...

Denial of the right to die is sheer religious primitivism

2010-04-16T12:47:48Z

The Crown Prosecution Service is considering, yet again, whether to prosecute and possibly imprison otherwise law-abiding Britons for helping their loved ones to die. The parents of Daniel James, a 23-year-old rugby player crippled in a training accident, last month accompanied him to the Dignitas clinic in England as a teenager has committed suicide in a Swiss euthanasia clinic after having become paralysed from the chest down in a training accident. Police are investigating.

Nuneaton rugby club hooker Daniel James felt his body had become a "prison" and lived in "fear and loathing" of his daily life, his parents said last night, havin...

Police investigate assisted suicide of paralysed rugby player

2010-04-16T12:51:51Z

A 23-year-old rugby player who represented England as a teenager has committed suicide in a Swiss euthanasia clinic after he was paralysed from the chest down in a training accident. Police are investigating.

Daniel James, who was a hooker with Nuneaton rugby club, felt his body had become a "prison" and lived in "fear and loathing" of his daily life, his parents said...

Euthanasia expert banned from making university speech

2010-04-16T12:55:01Z

An expert on euthanasia has been banned from speaking at Queen's University Belfast, the university announced today.

Dr Philip Nitschke, who rejects allegations that he encourages vulnerable people to take their own lives, had been scheduled to give a lecture at Queen's on Sunday.

A university spokeswoman said the invitation had bee...

Coffee, cakes and the lethal prescriptions of 'Dr Death'

2010-04-16T12:56:09Z

He is nicknamed Dr Death, his book on voluntary euthanasia is banned in his homeland and his trip to the UK has caused an outcry. But at a hall in west London yesterday, a group of over-50s turned up to listen calmly as Dr Philip Nitschke explained in minute detail how, if they chose, they could take their own lives.

Nitschke told the audience how to obtain...

Jubilation in Nepal at Gurkha court ruling

2010-04-16T17:01:17Z

Jubilant former Gurkhas were on Wednesday making fresh plans for life in Britain after a landmark court ruling in London gave thousands of retired soldiers the chance to move there.

The High Court in London ruled in a test case that Gurkhas who retired from the British Army before 1997 had the rig...

Government confronts death taboo with call for funeral home open days

2010-04-16T16:48:15Z

Funeral homes and crematoria will be encouraged to hold open days as part of a government plan to help people better prepare for death.

Ministers believe such events will make death and dying less taboo subjects, and will encourage more people to make wills and plan for where they want to spend their final days.

The proposals come in a new end-of-life strategy intended to allow more people to die at home or in a hospice, rather than in hospital. The strategy calls on funeral ...

Palliative Care Can Improve Patient Care Most, Poll Finds

2010-10-22T22:57:28Z

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Royal Borough is 'the worst place to die'

2010-10-19T10:09:57Z

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British euthanasia patients double in the last year

2010-10-13T19:33:53Z

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Britain Tuition Tangle

2011-01-04T08:04:09Z

FILE - This is a Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010 file photo of Britain's Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, as they react as their car is attacked by angry protesters in London. British police released a video Tuesday Jan. 4, 2011 of ...

Britain Soccer Premier League

2011-01-02T11:00:17Z

Chelsea's Florent Malouda, left, is fouled by Aston Villa's Stilian Petrov during their English Premier League soccer match at the England, Saturday Jan. 1, 2011, after about 40 prisoners began a riot and set alight to some of the buildings inside the open prison, according to the a Ministry of Justice official. (AP Photo / Chris Ison, PA) UNITED KINGD...

Britain Prison Riot

2011-01-01T11:01:05Z

Specialist prison officers stand outside a fire damaged building at the Ford Open Prison near Arundel, 60 miles (95 kms) south of London, after prisoners began a riot and set alight the low-security prison Saturday Jan. 1, 2011. Officials said about 40 inmates at the prison began the disturbance at around midnight New Year's Eve after some prisoners refused to take breath tests for alcohol. (AP Photo/Chris Ison/PA Wire)

Margaret Thatcher

2010-12-30T08:00:27Z

FILE- In a June 7, 1984 file photo, President Ronald Reagan has a word in the ear of Britain's Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, at a reception given by the British Government at London's