That Starmer fella...

That's beside the point. This is about consent, and that's entirely in the mind of the patient to decide, but requires strong protections given the medical reality of most in palliative care.

Semantics. You're dying, you die now or in two months, you're dying.

That sounds about right, from a total outsider's perspective. I should probably dig into the documentation tbh

It's not semantics at all? It's not exactly controversial to want strong protections for any process that results in death.

I'm in favour of people having choice by the way.

So what happens (even with strong protections) in the event that someone regrets making an assisted dying choice? Oh wait they won't.

You can have all the controls you like but ultimately if someone chooses to die who is dying anyway feels like they were coerced, I mean....? Make it make sense

Really sorry to hear that,

We looked after my partner's mum in palliative care at home and it was both one of the most horrific and, oddly, rewarding things I've ever done, in terms of helping someone in their moment of greatest need.

They might regret it, and I'd hope the process has a swift procedure for nullifying any previous decision. I don't think you can be categorical about this.

Who is regretting it? Is this a 'Soul' thing you're talking about?

No, I'm not religious. The patient, of course.

The dead patient might regret dying earlier than they were originally scheduled to die unassisted? OK.

I mean, yeah, they might. I don't pretend to know what goes on in the mind of people in that state.

Oh I see where we're crossing wires. I'm not saying they'll regret it after death — christ, that's stupid.

Aye. I wasn't trying to be facetious. But that was what the interviewee was implying.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/nov/25/about-20-terminally-ill-people-in-uk-die-in-unrelieved-pain-each-day-research-finds

I don't understand what the article is saying. Are their needs unmet because the care system fails them or because there is no medication that can relieve the pain?

It's saying that even within the highest standards of palliative care, people aren't getting the care they need.

That's still unclear to me what that means. What is the highest standard? The current one in the UK? Why is it the highest when it still fails some? What is the reason some are not receiving what they need? Is it medical reasons, financial, staff?

The research isn't published yet but the story does confirm it is specific to the UK:

"According to its research, to be presented to MPs on Tuesday, one in four people receiving palliative care in England have “unmet pain needs”. The OHE said it used “the most conservative of estimates [suggesting] the true number is likely to be much larger”.

It calculated that, even with the “highest possible standards of hospice-level palliative care”, more than 7,300 people across the UK died with unrelieved pain in the last three months of their lives in 2023. In 2019, the comparable figure was nearly 6,400 people a year – a 15% increase over four years.

It also said that fewer than 5% of terminally ill people in England who needed hospice care in 2023 received it."

As this seems to be a bit of an assisted dying thread now, great piece from Raphael Behr in the Guardian today. I'm very pro and he's ambivalent learning pro, but I can't disagree with anything he says here:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/nov/27/mps-assisted-dying-bill-vote-right-to-die

The only mp who actually caught my attention due to her red hair has resigned . Transport secretary's dont seem to last very long.

There’ll be another one along in a minute

There's going to be a delay announcing the next one. Something about the weather

She was actually alright too. Talking about trams, sorting out pay disputes, etc.

Hope the next one is on top of the brief.

Heidi Alexander will replace Louise Haigh. She was deputy mayor for transport under Sadiq Khan for a bit, so is up to speed on the kind of policy changes needed.

deputy mayor for transport

did she deliver anything tangible?