TV doctor Hilary Jones says assisted dying for terminally ill is 'kind and compassionate'

British TV doctor Hilary Jones has described assisted dying for the terminally ill as "kind and compassionate", adding that he would help a patient to end their life if the law was changed.
The GP, often seen on Good Morning Britain and the Lorraine show, said medicine will go "back to the Dark Ages" if proposed legislation being considered at Britain's Westminster is voted down.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will return to the House of Commons for debate on Friday, with MPs expected to consider further amendments.
In its current form the Bill, which applies only to England and Wales, would mean terminally ill adults with only six months left to live could apply for assistance to end their lives, with approval needed from two doctors and the expert panel.
Last month, MPs approved a change in the Bill to ensure no medics would be obliged to take part in assisted dying.
Doctors already had an opt-out but the new clause extends that to anyone, including pharmacists and social care workers.
Dr Jones said medics are "looking over their shoulders because of the legal repercussions of the law" as it stands.
Encouraging or assisting suicide is currently against the law in England and Wales, with a maximum jail sentence of 14 years.
Asked about the significance if the law does change, Dr Jones told PA: "It will relieve healthcare professionals who deal with terminal illness.
"There are wonderful people who are caring and compassionate, who just live in fear of their actions being misinterpreted, of being accused of wrongdoing, and because of that fear, people at the end of life are often undertreated.
"People are looking over their shoulder because of the medications they're using or the doses they're using, it means that patients aren't getting the best palliative care that they could have.
"And I think the Bill, if it passes, will alleviate a great deal of that, and put people's minds at rest that they're not going to suffer unnecessarily at the end of life."
Ahead of last month's Commons debate on the Bill, two royal medical colleges raised concerns over the proposed legislation.
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) said it believes there are "concerning deficiencies", while the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) said it has "serious concerns" and cannot support the Bill.
Dr Jones, who has been practising medicine for more than 45 years and spent time working on cancer wards during his career, said he has "always supported it (assisted dying)".
He added: "I've always felt it is the most humane, kind and compassionate thing that relatives and doctors can provide, knowing that that person's wishes are respected and known, that there is full mental capacity and that they're surrounded by love.
"And for me, it's always been very clear."
Asked if, were the law to change, he would be content to help someone who had chosen assisted dying at the end of their life, he said: "Absolutely, if I know the patient, I know what their wishes are, I see them suffering, and there's nothing more I can do to help their suffering then, absolutely, I would hold their hand and help them achieve what they want to achieve."
Some of the Bill's opponents have urged MPs to focus on improving end-of-life care rather than legislating for assisted dying.
But Dr Jones said his mother, who was a nurse and died "suffering unnecessarily" despite the "best possible palliative care" would be "proud of me speaking on this subject now, in the way I am".
He told of his respect for people's "religious beliefs, cultural beliefs and personal feelings" in being opposed to assisted dying but insisted it should be an area of choice.
He said: "The bottom line is that I think it's the patient's individual choice. I think we should respect the right of the individual to choose what they want.
"This is not a mandatory thing. This is not being imposed on anybody.
"And I think people should have the individual right to make a decision about how they end their life if they've got a terminal illness where there's no prospect of cure and they're suffering and they fear an undignified death."
Asked about the prospect of the Bill being voted down by MPs, Dr Jones said: "We would be back to square one, back to the Dark Ages, in my opinion, medically, and that would be a shame.
"I don't think we would be advancing medicine if the Bill is not passed."

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Irish Daily Mirror

25 minutes ago

• Irish Daily Mirror

Iran threatens US with 'decisive response' after Donald Trump attacks nuke sites

The US has been threatened with a "decisive response" after Donald Trump unleashed American bombs on Iran this weekend. "Every time the Americans committed crimes, they received a decisive response, and it will be the same this time too," said General Hatami, the commander-in-chief of the Iranian Army. Days before the attack, Iran had reportedly warned the US that it could activate its network of sleeper cells on US soil. The Department of Homeland Security said yesterday that the "Iran conflict is causing a heightened threat environment in the United States". They say "if Iranian leadership issued a religious ruling calling for retaliatory violence against targets in the homeland" there could be a surge in violence. Follow our live blog below... BREAKING:Iranian missile hits Israel's Ashdod.#Iran #Israel #Ashod Israel's strikes against Iran have struck Iran's Radio and Television building, and the Fordow nuclear plant, according to reports. It comes after the US claimed to have "obliterated" the underground nuclear site with air strikes over the weekend. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - who is reportedly hiding in a bunker - has named three senior clerics to take his place should he be killed by Israel or the US. Khamenei is said to have ordered the officials hiding him to shut down all electronic communications so it's harder to find him, the New York Times reports, citing three officials close to the leader. The report reads: "Ayatollah Khamenei's son Mojtaba, also a cleric and close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, who was rumoured to be a front-runner, is not among the candidates, the officials said. Iran's former conservative president, Ibrahim Raisi, was also considered a front-runner before he was killed in a helicopter crash in 2024." Iran's foreign minister has hand delivered a letter from the Supreme Leader to Vladimir Putin today. Sources say the letter is asking Putin for support in the ongoing conflict. They add that Iran thinks Russia could be doing more to back it against Israel and the US. Oil prices have hit a five-month high - threatening to hit British households in the pocket. Brent crude topped $80 a barrel in early trading, before falling back to $77. The rise, after Donald Trump's missile struck on Iran, risks feeding through to different aspects of everyday life. If sustained, it could result in higher fuel prices for drivers, air fares and transportation costs. By pushing up production costs it could also lead to an uptick in inflation, which may deter the Bank of England from cutting interest rates, in a blow for borrowers. David Lammy has warned Iran it would be a "catastrophic mistake" to fire at US bases in the Middle East in revenge for strikes on its nuclear sites. The Foreign Secretary urged Tehran to step from the brink, "get serious, and calm this thing down" after Donald Trump's weekend bombings fanned the flames in the region. Mr Lammy said he was "crystal clear" to Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, "it would be a huge catastrophic mistake to fire at US bases in the region at this time". The Foreign Secreary stressed that the UK played no role in the US or Israeli bombings, and repeatedly refused to be drawn on whether the US action was legal. Mr Lammy said: "I can tell you, as Foreign Secretary that we were not involved. It is for the Americans to discuss those legal issues. UK gives chilling two-word warning to Iran over nuclear site retaliation Donald Trump's call to bomb key nuclear sites in Iran has sparked fears Tehran could retaliate - with mounting concerns that instability in the region could spark World War Three. Over the weekend the US attacked three nuclear sites in Iran, including the deep underground Fordow facility, with President Trump claiming they had been "completely and fully obliterated." The US President ordered the strikes - dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer - after Israel carried out attacks against the country's nuclear, energy and military infrastructure last week. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran had been wanting to develop a nuclear weapon to threaten the Jewish-majority state, and said the strikes were to damage its nuclear programme. The International Atomic Energy Agency also found the Fordow site had enriched uranium to 83.7 per cent, which was close to the 90 per cent required to develop nuclear weapons. WW3 fears explained and if world is safer or more dangerous after US bombs Iran Israel has suffered the "longest barrage" since the start of the war amid Iran's bombardment this morning. Jerusalem Post correspondent Dr Amir Bobhot wrote on Telegram: "Longest barrage since the war began. Dozens of surface-to-surface missiles scattered across the country." Reports are emerging of missiles flying over the holy city of Jerusalem. "Thuds" have reportedly been heard nearby amid an exchange of missile fire between Israel and Iran. Following Israeli strikes on targets in Iran, the Islamic Republic has returned fire, according to the Israeli military. Residents are being told to take cover in protected spaces. The UK's armed forces minister has said it wasn't involved in Donald Trump's strikes on Iran over the weekend. Luke Pollard refused to comment on whether the UK had agreed with the hostilies. He told Sky News: "What we can say is we were not involved in the military action that the US took, nor have we been involved in the action the Israeli government have been taking against Iran," he said. "Our focus and the work that we are doing in conjunction with our US allies... is to put the pressure on the Iranian regime to get back to negotiations, because a diplomatic solution is how we bring this crisis to an end." He said the UK wasn't asked to participate, and UK bases were not used to launch the strikes. Israeli strikes yesterday killed at least 10 members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). An unknown number of IRGC personnel were also wounded, according to Tasnim News Agency. Israel claims to have taken out 24 commanders and nuclear scientists since the conflict began. Israel's air force is attacking military sites in Kermanshah in western Iran. The air force said it deployed more than 15 Israeli jets to strike a number of missile launch and storage sites in the city - which is home to around one million people. Donald Trump's plans of "Making Iran Great Again" would be unwelcome as the Iranians demand a "hard response" against the US for its bombardment of their country. Iranian journalist Emad Anshenas told Sky News that for the first time in 40 or 50 years, there is a solidarity among the Iranian people. The vast majority of people are rejecting the idea of negotiating with the "US which attacked us", he said. "We probably had this solidarity during the Iran-Iraq war and now it is back again", he said. "If you walk through the Iranian streets everyone is asking for a hard response, especially against Israel. "And now everyone is questioning why the nuclear bomb is not being produced." Iran has threatened to activate its network of "sleeper cells" after Donald Trump unleashed American bombs on its key nuclear sites. A sleeper cell is a small group of spies, terrorists or resistance fighters who are secretly embedded in a target country. Their handlers order them to live regular lives and blend into society, remaining "asleep" - sometimes for years - until they're activated to carry out acts of espionage or terrorism. The lack of communication with their controlling country is designed to make it more difficult for the military, security services, or police to detect them. The groups are usually quite small, with the members knowing little about each other beyond their concocted identities - making it more difficult for them to inform on each other if compromised. Sleeper agents for Iranian-backed Hezbollah are said to have already been established across the world. In 2021, a Hezbollah cell bombed a bus carrying Israeli tourists in Bulgaria after years of planning. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is also well-known for its activation of sleeper agents on British soil America's Department of Homeland Security has warned that "violent extremists" could mobilize on US soil in response to the situation in Iran. A National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin says there are a number of ways Iran could strike back, including through using its hackers to disrupt US networks. However, the DHS said the most serious threat could materialise if Iran's leaders issue a fatwa, an Islamic ruling, to attack American institutions on US soil. The statement reads: "The ongoing Iran conflict is causing a heightened threat environment in the United States. Low-level cyber attacks against US networks by pro-Iranian hacktivists are likely, and cyber actors affiliated with the Iranian government may conduct attacks against US networks. "Iran also has a long-standing commitment to target US Government officials it views as responsible for the death of an Iranian military commander killed in January 2020. "The likelihood of violent extremists in the Homeland independently mobilizing to violence in response to the conflict would likely increase if Iranian leadership issued a religious ruling calling for retaliatory violence against targets in the Homeland." Iran has been warned that shutting down a crucial Middle East oil "choke point" following US strikes on its nuclear facilities would be tantamount to "economic suicide". US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on Iran's allies, including China, to exert pressure on Tehran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, stating that any closure would be a "terrible mistake". "I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them about that, because they heavily depend on the Straits of Hormuz for their oil," Mr Rubio said during an interview with Fox News. "If they do that, it will be another terrible mistake. It's economic suicide for them if they do it. And we retain options to deal with that, but other countries should be looking at that as well. It would hurt other countries' economies a lot worse than ours," he continued. Iran told shutting down oil 'choke point' would be 'economic suicide' A commander of Iran's armed forces has threatened a "decisive response" after Trump's strikes on the country. "Every time the Americans committed crimes, they received a decisive response, and it will be the same this time too," General Hatami said, according to state-run Fars news agency. Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country has "interesting intel" on location of Iran's highly enriched uranium. According to Iranian sources, the majority of the uranium - which was based at the Fordow nuclear plant - had been moved in anticipation of the attack. When asked about where the uranium is, Netanyahu said: "We've been following that very closely. I can tell you that it's an important component of a nuclear programme. "It's not the sole component. It's not a sufficient component. But it is an important component and we have interesting intel on that, which you will excuse me if I don't share with you." Iran had threatened to activate sleeper cells on US soil days before Donald Trump launched the attack. He was given the information by an intermediary at G7. The Department of Homeland Security warned yesterday that the "Iran conflict is causing a heightened threat environment in the United States". They say "if Iranian leadership issued a religious ruling calling for retaliatory violence against targets in the homeland" there could be a surge in violence. Authoritarian dictatorship North Korea has criticised US President Trump's involvement in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict and violation of the UN Charter. The North Koreans described the escalating situation as a result of Israel's 'ceaseless war moves and territorial expansion', which are 'accepted and encouraged by the West'. An official spokesperson said his country 'strongly denounces the attack on Iran by the US which … violently trampled down the territorial integrity and security interests of a sovereign state'. Internationally isolated Iran and North Korea have long kept up ties, cooperating economically and in military development. British forces stationed throughout the Middle East have been placed on heightened alert for potential drone strikes after the US airstrikes on Iran, according to Defence Secretary John Healey. Healey has affirmed that protection of UK Armed Forces is now at "highest level" amid escalating concerns that the US action might ignite a broader conflict. Since the strikes took place early Sunday morning, security measures at British bases in the Middle East have been significantly intensified, with staff preparing for the possibility of not only drone attacks but conventional rocket and missile assaults too. President Trump has alleged that satellite images have confirmed the success of operation 'Midnight Hammer', with "monumental damage" done to Iranian nuclear sites, some of which were deeply embedded underground. Taking to Truth Social, Trump said that "obliteration is an accurate term" for the outcome of the bunker-busting B2 bomber raid on three main targets, Isfahan, Natanz and Fordow. He added: "The white structure shown is deeply imbedded into the rock, with even its roof well below ground level, and completely shielded from flame. "The biggest damage took place far below ground level. Bullseye!!!" Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has taken to X to demand that Israel and its ideological allies 'be punished', after the US deployed B2 bombers to decimate a key nuclear site. Alluding to this attack as a 'big crime', Khamenei said: "The punishment continues. "The Zionist enemy has made a big mistake, committed a big crime; it must be punished and it is being punished; it is being punished right now." Alongside the post from Khamenei's purported account was a propaganda image of missiles hitting a skull with a Star of David etched on the forehead. While Iran's missile launch at Israel appears to have been intercepted, at the same time, loud explosions have been heard all across Tehran. Residents in Iran's capital described hearing consecutive "massive booms"; however, it is not yet clear what the Israeli Air Force is striking. Air defence systems in Tehran were also activated during the attack. فوریصادقیه تهران همین الانانفجارهای پیاپی People in Israel are being urged again to find shelter after being notified that Iran has launched a fresh wave of missiles. The IDF warned in a statement that "sirens sounding across central Israel due to a missile launch from Iran", adding that "defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat". Foreign Secretary David Lammy and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio have held another 'important' meeting on the situation in the Middle East, following Trump's 'Midnight Hammer' strike on Iranian nuclear sites. Both top officials have been vocal supporters of a 'diplomatic solution' to the ongoing Israel-Iran war, which has now drawn the US into the aerial offensive against Iran's military leaders, missile sites, and nuclear facilities. Important discussion with @SecRubio this evening on the situation in the Middle will continue to work with our allies to protect our people, secure regional stability and drive forward a diplomatic solution. An unnamed senior official within the US government has reportedly said that the timing of the strikes on Iranian nuclear sites was decided by Donald Trump - and suggested the Pentagon had a limited role in the planning of the operation. They told Axios: "This wasn't a Pentagon operation. This was a Donald Trump operation. "He came up with the PR. He chose the plans. He chose the day." Trump's decision to go ahead with the strikes followed days of discussions with close political allies who had urged restraint, another official is reported to have said. Tonight, Iran's UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani has said the country will decide "the timing, nature and scale" of its response to the US attacks over the weekend. He told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that "Iran had repeatedly warned the warmongering U.S. regime to refrain from stumbling into this quagmire." He accused Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of succeeding in getting US President Donald Trump to do the West's "dirty work" and hijack its foreign policy, "dragging the United States into yet another costly and baseless war." Iravani also called US and Israeli actions against Iran "a clear and flagrant breach of international law." An alert has been issued by the US Dept of State Consular Affairs advising Americans living abroad to "exercise increased caution" due to the risk of targeted demonstrations abroad. The warning also mentions "disruptions to travel" and "periodic closure of airspace across the Middle East." Worldwide Caution: The conflict between Israel and Iran has resulted in disruptions to travel and periodic closure of airspace across the Middle East. There is the potential for demonstrations against U.S. citizens and interests abroad. The Department of State advises U.S.…

Irish Examiner

3 hours ago

• Irish Examiner

Healthcare real estate firm Assura recommends €2bn takeover bid

British healthcare real estate investor Assura on Monday recommended rival Primary Health Properties' new £1.79bn (€2.09bn) takeover bid that trumps a lower offer from KKR and Stonepeak Partners. Assura has extensive operations in the UK before entering the Irish market three years ago. It has been responsible for developing primary care centres and other healthcare facilities in counties including Mayo, Cavan, Monaghan, and Offaly. Primary Health Properties's (PHP) latest 53.3p per share bid was higher than KKR-Stonepeak's "best and final" offer of 52.1p tabled earlier this month, and at a 47% premium to Assura's closing price before KKR-Stonepeak's first approach. Assura shareholders would get 0.3865 new PHP shares, 12.5p in cash, and be entitled to a special dividend of 0.84 pence per share under the terms of the latest bid, the companies said. The private equity firms and PHP have been competing over Assura for months, gradually sweetening their offers for the company which manages over 600 healthcare properties and counts Britain's state-backed National Health Service as a customer. Reuters

The Irish Sun

12 hours ago

• The Irish Sun

Fury as woke council ‘bans fun' by scrapping popular airshow despite it making £60 MILLION for local economy

A WOKE council blamed climate change as it axed a popular air show despite it making £60million for the local economy. The four-day 2 The Bournemouth Air Festival has run for 16 years and attracts 600,000 fans Credit: Getty 2 The local authority scrapped the airshow this year saying it cannot afford £250,000 to stage it and also citing carbon emissions Credit: PA But the cash-strapped local authority said it cannot afford £250,000 to stage it and also cited the carbon emissions the planes and the extra traffic produce as a reason for stopping it. Bosses at the Lib Dem-run council, which has just hired a new chief executive on a salary of £220,000, are accused of being killjoys and lacking ambition. Conservative councillor Phil Broadhead said: 'Saying we don't like planes, therefore we should ban the air festival for the sake of three or four days that brings millions to the local economy is a step too far. 'On that note, we shouldn't be doing anything that generates any carbon whatsoever. read more on red arrows 'What we are doing is banning fun.' Bournemouth Area Hospitality Association chairwoman Rosie Radwell said: 'It is a great shame because the air festival was a big boost for Bournemouth. 'It is a huge loss to the area. 'I don't think tourism is the top priority for this council.' Most read in The Sun Asked about its impact on the climate she said: 'I don't think it was as bad as they said. 'And I don't think it's as bad as they say.' Highlights of the RAF Red Arrows' jaw-dropping displays from 2024 Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club.