Exploring perspectives of Scottish medical students on the proposed 'Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland)' Bill.

backgroundThe 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.

methodsAn 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.

resultsA 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.

conclusionsThe 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.