Dear Letters department,

Assisted Dying Vote March 17 2026

Have we forgotten the State Intervention we loathed during COVID?

1. Lack of movement and visiting people.
2. Lack of information at how our relatives were doing.
3. Lack of being able to process the death of loved ones, neighbours or colleagues due to funeral restrictions.
4. Lack of information about those who were most vulnerable – those shielding, those with disabilities, those who are digitally illiterate.
5. Lack of accountability with the methods used to obtain Do Not Resuscitate consent.  Especially when individuals were telephoned unexpectedly with no advocate present.
6. Lack of information about the change the NHS made to palliative care guidelines during COVID which increased the amount of opioids permitted to prescribe and administer.
7. Lack of trust and despair (widespread) in the Scottish Nursing home sector during the COVID-19 pandemic

Preventing the spread of the COVID virus took precedence over all the usual etiquette between patients, their families, healthcare and the State.

Anything that divides families, creates information vacuums, fear through isolation can only lead to misery.  That, I thought, would be one silver lining from COVID 19. No one will want to legalise assisted dying after experiencing the pitfalls of state intervention.

The intention to prevent COVID spread was obviously good.  The desire to prevent suffering through assisted dying can also be seen as good.

How often, however, is there a huge difference between moral aspirations and practical impact?  The COVID pandemic in Scotland showed that to be true and there will be parallels if we legalise assisted dying.  There will be mistakes, misinformation, broken and divided families, vulnerable and isolated individuals susceptible to assisted dying messaging, crime and theft. 

Holyrood must vote NO on 17 March.

Rachel Margaret McKenzie 

rmemme.com