Doctors without religious beliefs more likely to help patients to die

Startling finding: Atheist doctors are more likely to help patients die than their religious colleagues

Atheist doctors are almost twice as likely to take decisions that speed up death for very ill patients as those who are deeply religious, research has found.



Those with a strong faith are also less willing to discuss treatments that hasten the end, according to a poll of nearly 4,000 British doctors.



Medics from a wide range of specialities were asked about their religious views, their care for their last patient who died and any decisions they had taken that were expected, or partly intended to, end life.



The findings, published in the Journal of Medical Ethics, showed that doctors who described themselves as non-religious were more likely than any other group to have given continuous deep sedation until death, having made a decision that they knew could or would end life.



Those who described themselves as ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ non-religious were almost twice as likely to have taken these kinds of decisions as those with a strong religious belief.



They were also more likely to have discussed end-of-life decisions with patients. The findings held true regardless of the type of medicine practised.



Those with a strong faith and palliative care specialists were the groups that most opposed assisted dying or euthanasia legislation.



The survey comes after new guidance from the General Medical Council made clear doctors must follow the wishes of patients who want treatment stopped, even if they believe they can be saved.



Doctors risk their careers if they ignore the terms of ‘living wills’ under which patients can demand to be allowed to die if they become too ill to speak, eat or drink.



If doctors refuse to withdraw treatment they can be prosecuted for assault and face a criminal trial and even jail. They may also be struck off the medical register.