New law proposes experimentation on dying patients
A new bill allowing experimentation on dying patients has received huge support from politicians after being proposed by a Jewish peer.
Lord Maurice Saatchi, who introduced the bill in December 2012, has campaigned to change the law since the death of his wife, Josephine Hart, to ovarian cancer.
This week he welcomed news that the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has now promised to back the Medical Innovations Bill if it was supported by the public.
Saatchi’s bill would allow doctors to try out innovative new techniques or drugs on patients, without the fear of prosecution, when all else has failed and they are nearing the end of their life.
“The people have agreed that there is a problem with how we are treating some of the sickest in our society,” said Saatchi, after one of the biggest public consultations ever undertaken closed last week.
The fear of being sued had, for years, stymied medical advances, said Saatchi, who argues that his bill will provide legal clarity to doctors.
“We have a culture of defensive medicine in the NHS, a culture created by the fear of litigation that hangs over doctors,” he said, citing £1.2 billion paid out in lawsuits by the British health service last year alone.
“The Bill has obviously touched a nerve, because people know that all cancer deaths are wasted lives. If the Bill receives Royal Assent, good doctors will be protected and encouraged by the law. I hope Her Majesty’s pen is full of ink.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
