The President of the Isle of Man Medical Society (IOMMS) has expressed concerns following news that a bill permitting assisted suicide has received Royal Assent.
The IOMMS represents around 150 medical professionals on the Isle of Man. In 2023, a survey of the group found that a significant majority (74 per cent) would be unwilling to help a terminally ill patient end their own life.
The group’s President, consultant radiologist Vanina Finocchi, said it was disappointing that politicians had decided to proceed with the controversial policy despite the concerns of medical professionals.
Under the new bill, only adults who have lived on the island for five or more years and have a terminal illness with less than a year to live will be eligible.
However, it is not clear when the law will practically come into effect. The government of the island said, “The Act will not come into force until all practical, clinical and safeguarding arrangements have been agreed.”
The government stated other safeguarding laws must be in place before assisted suicide could commence, meaning that it would not be available until April 2028 at the very earliest.
Finocchi said that permitting assisted suicide would “change a lot of approaches in healthcare”, adding that doctors have a responsibility “to advocate for those who cannot, for vulnerable people”.
Finocchi called upon the government to ensure that palliative care on the Isle of Man be improved. Many opponents of assisted suicide have raised the concern that, faced with the choice of a quick death and poor palliative care, many may opt for suicide.
Britain’s Prime Minister Andy Burnham has indicated that while he supports assisted suicide in principle, it should not be introduced while serious questions remain about the country’s palliative care system. Attempts to legalise it in England and Wales were rejected by Westminster in September.
