Doctors have voted to drop their opposition to changes to the law which would allow terminally ill patients to be helped to die.
The British Medical Association conference said it should end its current stance against euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide.
When the BMA discussed the issue earlier this week, doctors spoke powerfully for and against change, but in the end adopted a neutral position. This means that they will not campaign either for or against any future change on the law.
Doctors backed a motion stating that "The BMA should not oppose legislation which alters the criminal law but should press for robust safeguards both for patients and for doctors who not wish to be involved in such procedures."
Former BMA GP leader Dr John Chisholm supported the neutral option, saying:
"We need to ensure that vulnerable patients are protected, they have quality palliative care and pain relief is available."
He said the rights of patients needed to be respected so they had more control over the dying process, but called for safeguards to protect both doctors and patients who did not wish to be involved in assisted dying.
Deborah Annetts, chief executive of the Voluntary Euthanasia Society, said: "The BMA has recognised a need for reform and that both doctors and patients interests can be better protected than they are now.
The BMA conference was debating the issue after a bill was put forward by Lord Joffe to allow assisted euthanasia.
His bill ran out of time during the last parliament, but he has promised to reintroduce it.
Different models have been established in countries where some form of right to die has been allowed.
In Holland, assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia are responsible for one in 40 deaths.
Muiris Lyons, specialist human rights lawyer said:
"The rights and wishes of patients must come first. The right to life - right to die debate is a very difficult one. This ruling will help to give doctors more freedom to act in accordance with their patient's wishes, whatever these may be."
BackRelated news stories
- 09/06/2006: Medical expert calls for legalisation of euthanasia
- 17/05/2006: Right to life case - Leslie Burke lodges appeal at European Court of Human Rights
- 15/05/2006: Right to die - Lords vote against bill which advocates assisted dying
- 08/05/2006: Right to die - legalisation of euthanasia to be debated in House of Lords for second time
- 09/03/2006: Judge to rule on right to life case
- 30/01/2006: Right to treatment - 'champions' to have say over treatment
- 20/06/2005: Doctors push for right to die law
- 16/05/2005: Right to life - right to die cases: Court of Appeal to rule on treatment for patients
- 23/03/2005: Right to die - right to life case: Solicitor Muiris Lyons comments on CNN
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