Outside the BMA Annual Representative Meeting
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Manipulation won the day at the BMA (see "JIGGERY-POKERY" and BMA euthanasia vote 'fixed' - MP). On Tuesday 28th June the BMA held an open debate in which two-thirds of the speakers supported the Hippocratic tradition. On Thursday, when many of the delegates had gone home, the debate was started up again. There wasn't a quorum, but standing orders had been suspended. No delegates were allowed to speak against assisted suicide (this was not carried) or against neutrality, but only to propose them. The third motion, to maintain the long-standing policy, came last, so was not allowed to be proposed or voted on. Neutrality on assisted suicide was voted for by 53% to 47%. During the debate on 28th June, a junior doctor from Salford said "I don't know if you have noticed a big queue of people outside saying they are opposed to assisted suicide. They arrived at 10 in the morning and have been there in the hot sun ever since. I spoke to one who had come up from the Home Counties" (Gill Gerhardi, second from the left). "She has cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis and is violently opposed - she feels it undermines the vulnerable. She designed a leaflet herself and has been placarding outside. She is very worried about what might happen." Junior doctors and the Royal College of General Practitioners have voted against assisting suicide. |