‘Beyond Consent – Rethinking Assisted Suicide Through A Family’s Eyes’ (Alicia Duncan)

In this special interview, former palliative care specialist Dr Gillian Wright interviews Alicia Duncan, a critic of the system of Canada’s system of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) – euthanasia and assisted suicide (EAS) – after her mother was euthanised on the basis of an eating disorder brought about by post-concussion syndrome.

Duncan draws upon the tragic results of the Canadian model to warn against similar dangers in the laws currently proposed in Scotland and England and being considered by the Holyrood and Westminster Parliaments. Please watch, share and use the content to write to your MP and /or MSP to oppose the assisted suicide Bills currently being considered!

This discussion complements the 2025 Anscombe Memorial Lecture by Dr Trudo Lemmens which went into detail about the manifold problem of Canadian MAiD. You can watch this here:

Dr Wright is a convenor of Our Duty Of Care (ODOC), a group of doctors campaigning against assisted suicide in the UK affiliated with Care Not Killing (CNK). ODOC and CNK have kindly given permission for the Anscombe Centre to share this video, to whom we extend our sincere thanks. You can find out more about both organisations on their websites linked to above.

For more information, please see the Centre’s full resources on ‘Assisted Dying’ (euthanasia and assisted suicide), which includes a guide to the latest evidence concerning EAS internationally, the Centre’s series of briefing papers on EAS since 2021 of which the above paper is the latest, and videos on subjects relating to EAS.

If you are reporting or writing about a case of death by suicide, whether assisted or non-assisted, please consult the Samaritans’ media guidelines on how to do so responsibly.

❤️‍🩹 If the issues raised in this post affect you, and if you need support, please contact:

• 🎗 Samaritans – Always open. Call 116 123 or e-mail: jo@samaritans.org (UK, Ireland, Channel Islands, and Isle of Man)
• 🎗 Pieta House – Always open. Call 1800 247 247 or e-mail: mary@pieta.ie (Ireland) 🎗 Suicide Prevention UK – Call 0800 689 5652. (UK)
• 🎗 The Silver Line – For people aged 55+, including those suffering abuse & neglect. Always open. Call 0800 4 70 80 90. (UK)
• 🎗 PAPYRUS – For those under 35 or those concerned for them. Open 10am–10pm (2pm–10pm weekends / Bank Holidays). Call 0800 068 41 41. (UK)
• 🎗 The Mix – For people under 25. Open 4pm-11pm. Call 0808 808 4994. (UK)
• 🎗 Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) – Open 5pm-12am. Call 0800 58 58 58. (UK)
• 🎗 SANE – Open 4pm-10pm, every day of the year. Call 0300 304 7000. (UK)
• 🎗 Mind – For mental health support and advice. Open 10am-6pm weekdays (excl. Bank Holidays). Call 0300 123 3393. (England and Wales)
• 🎗 C.A.L.L. – Always open. Call 0800 132 737. (Wales)
• 🎗 LifeLine – Always open. Call 0808 800 8000 or go to https://www.lifelinehelpline.info/ (Northern Ireland)

❤️‍🩹 For more mental health-focused help and advice please see:

• 🎗 Mind – https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/crisis-services/helplines-listening-services/ (UK)
• 🎗 Rethink – https://www.rethink.org/aboutus/what-we-do/advice-and-information-service/get-help-now/ (UK)
• 🎗 NHS – https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/behaviours/help-for-suicidal-thoughts/ (UK)
• 🎗 HSE – https://www2.hse.ie/mental-health/services-support/get-urgent-help/ (Ireland)
• 🎗 NSRF Ireland – http://suicidesupportandinformation.ie/
• 🎗 Mind Jersey – https://www.gov.je/Caring/Organisations/Pages/MindJersey.aspx
• 🎗 Isle of Man Government – https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/departments/cabinet-office/public-health/health-improvement/suicide-prevention/
• 🎗 States of Guernsey – https://www.gov.gg/mentalhealthsupport