A Southern Health Board member yesterday called on the Minister for Health to look into the issue of doctor-assisted suicide after a new survey claims that over 20 per cent of Irish doctors may be willing to do so.
Councillor Con O'Leary said that the public were entitled to know if their doctors or consultants were in favour of physician-assisted suicide. "I'm not being judgmental but I just think people are entitled to know," he said.
"I think Minister Cowen and the medical profession should start a debate on the issue. A sizeable number of doctors are in favour of the practice and almost as many say they have been asked to assist with suicide.
"Given that, what I want to know is how many cases have there been where doctors have actually assisted patients commit suicide - what we need is to take our heads out of the sand and have a full debate on the issue."
Councillor O'Leary said given the high level of support for physician-assisted suicide, it was possible that many hospitals run by Catholic orders were employing staff who favoured the practice and that raised further religious and ethical issues.
According to the survey of 1,279 doctors carried out by the Irish Medical Times, 21 per cent of all doctors and approximately one in three of non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) are in favour of the controversial practice.
Some 14 per cent of the doctors surveyed said they had been asked to assist with ending the life of a terminally ill patient.
The survey found 13 per cent said they would comply with such a request, even though physician-assisted suicide is illegal. NCHDs were by far the largest single grouping in favour of physician-assisted suicide, with 30 per cent agreeing with the practice, while 20 per cent of consultants, 19 per cent of GPs and 12 per cent of public health doctors all said they favoured the practice.
Questioned if they had ever been asked to assist with ending the life of a terminally ill patient, 16 per cent of GPs, 13 per cent of NCHDs, 10 per cent of consultants and 6 per cent of public health doctors said they had.
Some 19 per cent of NCHDs said they would comply with such a request if asked, while 11 per cent of both consultants and GPs would also comply. Some 8 per cent of public health doctors would comply, according to the survey, which was analysed by Insight Statistical Consultancy at TCD.