LBC caller with chronic illness refuses to undergo further medical screenings
3 May 2025, 09:54
LBC caller with chronic illness refuses to undergo further medical screenings
Caller Rebecca, whose condition is not covered by assisted dying, has decided not to undergo further medical screenings.
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Speaking to LBC's Matthew Wright, caller Rebecca, who has ME and a mother who is being treated for end of life care for ovarian cancer, said she supports assisted dying on a case-by-case basis.
Rebecca explains that her condition is not covered by the assisted dying bill and says she is resistant to pain medication. For this reason, she has decided not to undergo further medical screenings.
"I've decided I turned 50 last year, and I've decided that I'm not going for any screening programs, because I don't see the point in having a disease diagnosed like cancer, to go through the cost of treatment, the discomfort of treatment, to be cured, to lie in my bed for another 20 years."
She continued: "[Assisted dying] should be about whether a person could put themselves forward, not a family, and receive the right psychological assessment.
"For people like myself, it's hard enough to suffer the challenges of a medical condition but the government makes it harder for us as well, you're punished by your body. You're punished by the government for having a body like this."
