Nurses to be offered guidance on assisted suicide

Nurses will be offered advice this summer on how to deal with patients who ask them about suicide.

At the annual Royal College of Nursing conference (RCN), the issue of assisted suicide was brought to the fore, with nurses saying they are increasingly questioned by patients on the issue.

The College has previously been opposed to euthanasia.

A number of high-profile cases of assisted suicide have been in the media in recent months, including the case of 23-year-old Daniel James, who was paralysed following a rugby accident.

Nurses would be given advice on how to talk to patients about the current laws on euthanasia and also on how to deal with suicidal patients. People would also be told it is illegal to assist someone in suicide.

A number of other key issues came up at the conference yesterday included the topic of legalising brothels, which nurses said could help working girls to seek medical advice on issues such as safe sex and STI screening.