17th May 2019

The RCP dropped its opposition to assisted suicide after a "sham" consultation.

"Charities should ensure that significant decisions such as this are properly thought out."

The UK’s charities regulator is to investigate the Royal College of Physicians about its controversial decision to move to a position of neutrality on assisted suicide.

The Charity Commission has expressed 'concerns' about how the doctors' group dropped its opposition and adopted a neutral position despite just one in four of those surveyed backing the change.

Sham poll

A poll of the RCP’s 36,000 members on the issue found that 43.4 per cent of respondents were opposed to a change in the law - little different to a finding of 44.4 per cent when the poll was conducted in 2014. 31.6 per cent supported the legalisation of assisted suicide, while just 25 per cent thought the RCP stance should be neutral - a fall from 31 per cent in the last poll.

However, in an unprecedented move, the College had decided in advance that the position would move to one of neutrality unless 60% of respondents upheld the historic position of opposition, resulting in the least popular position becoming RCP policy.

At the time, Dr David Randall, a registrar in renal medicine at the Royal London Hospital, said that the membership "seems to be being offered a fait accompli by members of Dignity in Dying, who have achieved positions of influence on the RCP council."

Following the decision taken in March, senior doctors, including a number of former trustees, complained that the decision was taken through a 'sham poll' and complained to the Charity Commission.

Concerns from charities watchdog

In a letter dated April 23, a Charity Commission official said it was 'unclear how the decision to change the [RCP's] position to neutral was determined...the matter raises concerns with regard to how the charity dealt with and managed such a sensitive and high-profile subject matter.'

The Commission point out that minutes from the RCP's Council simply say that 'there was a general feeling that neutrality was a legitimate position'.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, a Charity Commission spokesperson said:

'Charities should ensure that significant decisions such as this are properly thought out.'

Law protects the vulnerable

Dr Gordon Macdonald, Chief Executive of Care Not Killing, welcomed the decision to investigate the RCP, "which seems to have failed the reasonableness test when conducting a poll of its members."

"The vast majority of doctors, especially those working most closely with dying people, are clear that they do not want a change in the law on assisted suicide or euthanasia," he said. "They recognise the significant problems of scrapping long-held universal values which protect terminally ill, sick and disabled people from feeling pressured into ending their lives because they fear becoming a care or financial burden.

"This is why our view is clear: we as a society should be doing everything in our power to prevent suicide, not endorse and assist it," Dr Macdonald continued. "Thankfully this is a view shared by most doctors and nurses, every major disability rights organisation and a clear majority of parliamentarians in our country, who have voted against changing the law more than a dozen times since 2004."

If the RCP is found guilty of breaking official rules, it could be reprimanded.