Exploring perspectives of Scottish medical students on the proposed Assisted
Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill
#MMPMID41382154
Geddes D
; Knox J
; Obree D
; Harden J
BMC Med Ethics
2025[Dec]; 26
(1
): 173
PMID41382154
show ga
BACKGROUND: The debate over legalising assisted dying is complex and
multifaceted, eliciting strong and diverse opinions from all involved parties.
Recently, the Scottish Parliament held an initial vote on the issue, opting to
progress with proposed legislation. Hearing the perspectives of medical students,
as future clinicians, is crucial when considering new medico-legal developments
in assisted dying in Scotland. This study aimed to explore and examine medical
students' views on assisted dying in Scotland and the specific provisions of the
proposed Scottish legislation. METHODS: An online survey was distributed to
students at the Scottish medical schools between October 2023 and January 2024.
Participants were invited to respond to closed, quantitative questions, designed
to assess specific attitudes towards the proposed legislation, followed by
optional free-text fields for participants to provide qualitative explanations
for their answers. These free-text responses were subsequently subjected to
thematic analysis. RESULTS: A total of 295 students responded to the survey. The
majority of respondents were in favour of the legalisation of assisted dying in
Scotland (72.4%); however, only 48.5% of respondents thought that assisted dying
should be introduced into Scottish legislation as proposed in the current bill.
Additionally, 23.4% of respondents indicated they would conscientiously object to
participation in the process. A significant number of respondents (n?=?135)
expressed concerns that the proposed safeguards were inappropriate or
insufficient. Autonomy was the most cited medical ethics principle underpinning
opinions, followed closely by non-maleficence. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of
respondents were in support of assisted dying, but a smaller proportion felt the
current proposed bill should be implemented, due to different interpretations of
the suitability of proposed safeguards. A significant portion of respondents'
perspectives were based on information from their previous training and
experience within healthcare. Other perspectives mirrored wider public opinion on
end-of-life care and assisted dying principles. While a majority of respondents
favour legalising assisted dying in Scotland, significant concerns remain
regarding the specific provisions of the proposed bill, highlighting the complex
and ethically charged nature of this issue. Key stakeholders and policymakers
should actively involve medical students, as future medical practitioners, in the
assisted dying discussion to help guide legislation and research.
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