The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and the Royal College of General Practitioners have spoken out strongly against proposed legislation allowing euthanasia in Great Britain.  A survey of RCP members showed that almost three-fourths oppose changing the present law even for the terminally ill.

Proponents of the bill believe that public opinion is behind them, but it is facing mounting opposition in the House of Lords.

The Bill, proposed by human rights lawyer Lord Joffe, would enable adults who are suffering “unbearably” as a result of a terminal illness and are of sound mind to die at their own request.

In practice this would mean that a doctor has to hand them a lethal drug. Doctors are also worried about pressures that the option of assisted dying would put on patients who might feel a burden to relatives.
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[T]he Bill, based on euthansia [sic] laws in Oregon, is seen as the thin end of the wedge by a formidable array of opponents, who will take the unusual step of forcing it to a vote in the Lords on Friday.

Speakers to oppose it include the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams and Lord Carey of Clifton, his predecessor. Rather than let the Bill proceed to later stages without a vote, as is usual for a Second Reading, they are hoping for a decisive vote against.

Doctors’ leaders feared that their previous failure to take a position on euthanasia was being interpreted as tacit approval for mercy killing.

A letter signed by 24 professors and consultants in palliative care published in yesterday's Telegraph called the bill "fatally flawed".