Panorama – I’ll Die When I Choose

In recent weeks a spate of stories concerning euthanasia have received prominent coverage in the British media. This post focuses on one of these, the BBC 1 Panorama documentary I’ll die when I choose. Please note that this post reports the content of the programme without, as yet, significant discussion of the ethical arguments for and against euthanasia. It is hoped that a fuller Extended Commentary giving a more rounded perspective will follow in due course.

I’ll die when I choose investigates the issues that surround assisted suicide and euthanasia. As both a MSP for the Scottish Parliament and a sufferer of Parkinson’s disease Margo Macdonald believes she can actively contribute to the debate:

Margo Macdonald MSP: “The job that I am taking on now as a lawmaker and a journalist, is to investigate the impact of our current criminalisation of people who want assistance with dying. And although I feel that I want the right to choose, I don’t know as a society we should change the law and where we should set the limits.”

This programme provides a personal insight into the lives of some patients who suffer from deliberating diseases, while providing arguments from those that oppose any changes in the law. The current post will attempt to discuss the issues raised in this programme while making reference to other recent events associated with the subject, including Daniel James‘ assisted suicide in Zurich following a rugby accident that left him paralysed and the failed attempt in the High Court by Debbie Purdy to clarify the law on assisted suicide.  

Panorama – I’ll Die When I Choose (30 minutes) was first broadcast on BBC 1 Monday 8th December 2008 20:30pm and will be repeated on BBC 1 Friday 12th December 00:25am and BBC News Channel Sunday 14th December 2008 20:30pm.  Please see other BioethicsBytes materials on Euthanasia.

Note: The programme is both very emotional and thought provoking as it contains sensitive material. It therefore may not be appropriate for all audiences and educators are strongly advised to watch the material through themselves prior to use in any teaching setting.

Panorama - I'll Die When I Choose

Blood and Guts – Bleeding Hearts

This short post focuses on Bleeding Hearts, the second part of the BBC 4 series Blood and Guts: A History of Surgery, presented by Michael Mosley (Also seen in BBC 4 documentary Medical Mavericks). This episode traces the historic journey of cardiac surgery. Initially, progress was very slow with surgeons fearful of operating; the main difficulties being the need to maintain blood supply to the vital organs of the body (especially the brain), and preventing the patient bleeding to death. The documentary illustrates how heart surgeons managed to maximise the time they could work on the patient without major post-operative health consequences. For the purpose of teaching bioethics, this short post will focus on a section (00:42:45 – 00:52:00) which examines how surgeons have to seek out hearts for transplantation when their patient’s own heart is damaged beyond repair.     

Michael Mosley: “The heart possesses a mystique, a romance that sets it a part from any other organs. This difference helped make heart surgery an extremely dangerous procedure. Not just for the patient but also for any surgeon prepared to operate on it.”

Horizon: Jimmy’s GM Food Fight

In recent months, the debate that surrounds Genetically Modified (GM) food crops has been reignited by attempts around the world to deal with food poverty in developing countries and the ever increasing price of food across the globe (See The GM Food Debate). Concerns about both the availability and price of food has meant that people are now looking to viable agricultural alternatives to increase food production, including the potential contribution of GM technology. Jimmy Doherty (also seen on Jimmy Doherty’s Farming Heroes and Jimmy’s Farm) is a strong advocate for traditional and sustainable farming but, as he explains (Start – 00:02:00):

Jimmy Doherty "I love the way that I farm, but I am, I am a realist and I realise that the way that I produce food will not feed the world. A lot of people think that the only way to do that is to use biotechnology, GM crops and I'm not sure about that. I don't know if it is safe or not? I don't know what the consequences are? But what if the answer to feeding the hungry is using biotechnology?"

Horizon: Jimmy’s GM Food Fight is a BBC 2 programme first broadcast on 25th November 2008 at 9:00pm. There are also two clips from the programme available permanently online: ‘How to create a GM plant’ and ‘Amish farmers embrace GM crops’.

BBC 2 Horizon: Jimmy's GM Food Fight. Full version available on the BBC iplayer until 08:59pm 23rd December

DNA Database – Against Human Rights

European Court of Human Rights - Grand Chamber Judgement 4th December 2008 (Press release)

On Thursday 4th December 2008 the ’European Court of Human Rights’ (ECHR) delivered a Grand Chamber judgement in the case of S. and Marper vs. the United Kingdom. They found that when an individual is arrested and has their DNA sample taken but is not subsequently convicted of the crime or is tried and acquitted, the retention of the DNA sample and DNA profile is a violation of Article 8 (Right to respect for private and family life) of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Please see Bioethicsbytes ‘Give us your DNA’ – Panorama and the BioethicsBytes Extended Commentary ‘Give us your DNA’ – Panorama.

BioethicsBytes Extended Commentary - 'Give us your DNA' - Panorama