1961 Suicide Act. The rule of law whereby it is a crime for a person to commit suicide is hereby abrogated ‘it is no longer a crime to attempt suicide.
1987 survey of 301 GPs, which suggested that, if the law was to be changed along the lines of the ADTI Bill, 53% would not carry out euthanasia on a patient, 35% would consider doing so and 10%
might consider doing so.
1993 survey of 312 GPs and hospital consultants on attitudes of doctors to requests for euthanasia. 46% of those questioned (51% of GPs and 40% of consultants) would be prepared to consider practising euthanasia if asked by a competent patient. 32% would not.1993/4 there should be no change in the law on intentional killing, which is the cornerstone of law and social relationships,
1995 Survey of 2150 doctors, in which 44% supported legal reform while 53% rejected it. 43%—slightly more GPs than hospital doctors—would consider practising euthanasia if legal.
1996 BMA News Review survey of 750 GPs, in which 46% of GPs
supported and 44% rejected legal reform.
1998 Survey of 322 United Kingdom psychiatrists, 38% of whom believed that euthanasia should be legalised and 35% were willing to assess the psychological suitability of applicants for euthanasia.
1999 survey of 333 geriatricians (45% of all UK. doctors in this speciality), 80% of whom felt that euthanasia could never be justified, though 23% felt that it should be legal in some circumstances.
2003 The Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient (‘LCP’) was an integrated care pathway (ICP) recommended by successive governments in England and Wales to improve end-of-life care. It was discontinued in 2014 following mounting criticism and a national review.
2003 Lord Joffe introduced into Parliament his Patient (Assisted Dying) Bill
2004 qualitative research carried out by Help the Hospices, which concluded that the introduction of euthanasia legislation was seen within the hospice movement as capable of changing the ethos of hospice care for the worse and of eroding the relationship of trust physicians, carers and patients.
2014 New ‘approach’ to end of life care replaces axed Liverpool pathway.
2024 AND NOW A new way to die still under discussion.