Sir, The tragedy of Anne Turner’s death (report, Jan 25) was not that she took her own life but that she had to go to Switzerland to do it.
If the law allowed assisted suicide in this country she could have enjoyed further weeks, even months, with her friends and family until she decided that her life was no longer worth living. As things are, she knew she had to be well enough to travel and to swallow in order to avoid the inevitable disintegration of the terminal stages of progressive supranuclear palsy.
It is ironic that the present situation, far from protecting life, can actually result in shortening it.
DR LIBBY WILSON
Glasgow
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Sir, The Royal College of General Practitioners, which is the largest medical royal college in the UK, does not support calls for assisted dying to be legalised in the UK.
After a widespread and careful debate, we concluded that with current improvements in palliative care, good clinical care can be provided within existing legislation and that patients can die with dignity.
DR MAYUR LAKHANI
Chairman,
Royal College of General Practitioners
London SW7