Dr Jonny Blackwell

Exhausted father, amateur gardener, Consultant Gastroenterologist, IBD researcher & on hold novelist.

Associate Editor in IBD @FrontGastro_BMJ

[Dr Jonny Blackwell @JonnyBlackwell]

My account has been hacked. Please ignore any DMs from me!

I'll return to my Twitter hibernation now. Happy Easter everyone!

[Dr Jonny Blackwell @JonnyBlackwell]

Thanks everyone!

I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.

This is the end. 😊

[Jim Nolan @nolanjimradial]

Beautiful inspirational story

[Dr Jonny Blackwell @JonnyBlackwell]

I’m signing off Twitter for the foreseeable future.

The last year has been exhausting & often unpleasant. I hate conflict but circumstances required me to speak truth.

To all those who wished me a painful death I wish you only peace.

Thanks to all who supported me! You’re ace!

[Dr Jonny Blackwell @JonnyBlackwell]

Scotland is brighter this morning.

I was deeply moved by stories both for and against.

I hope 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 will now invest properly in comprehensive palliative, psychiatric and social care so nobody will ever want assisted suicide.

We chose the harder but better path. Let’s walk it!

[Anthony Horan @AHoran79]

A profound sense of relief.

Thank you to all MSPs for their thoughtful and careful consideration of the complex issues around Liam
McArthur’s Bill.

I do believe the Parliament has made the right and responsible decision to reject assisted dying, upholding human dignity and protecting the vulnerable.

Now we must unite and focus on improving palliative care and social care, to ensure that all who need it receive it, and nobody is left behind.

[Iain Campbell, Ph.D. @IainCampbellPhD]

🚨BREAKING:

The Assisted Suicide Bill is DEFEATED in the Scottish Parliament! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🔥

https://t.co/vvBceK7s1n

May we learn from this dark chapter, and never again entertain legislation which is of such danger to vulnerable patients

Thank you sincerely to everyone who opposed this bill: @AgnesAyton, all of the MSPs who voted, @ddhitchens for incredible coverage and resources, all who supported on X @drjenunwin @CFWilsonJones @elchinasgarov_ and many others.

And thank you in particular to the Royal College of Psychiatry for their wisdom in critiquing this bill.

Let’s now divert this energy into opening up new horizons of improved care for patients. My heart and thoughts tonight are with those who are suffering and wanted this bill to pass.

We must provide world class palliative care. And we are already making great strides in improving mental healthcare in Scotland through our work in Metabolic Psychiatry.

I believe that in the coming 5-10 years, healthcare improvements, driven by advances in AI, will vastly improve our treatment of many chronic health conditions. This is a time to be hopeful and energised about the future of medicine, not a time of to administrate managed decline which would have been the inevitable result of this bill.

Let’s put all of our energy into providing the best possible treatments to patients and affirming the inherent, meaning and sacred value of their PRECIOUS LIFE.

At all times communicating to patients that as long as we can still serve them: WE WILL NEVER, EVER, GIVE UP.

[Care Not Killing Scotland @CNKScotland]

Ruth Maguire: “Are we going to be a country where the state funds dying but hospice care relies on charity?”

[Dan Hitchens @ddhitchens]

Daniel Johnson (Labour) is also switching from yes to no.

“If you are seeking solace from the statements of people in this chamber that this bill has more safeguards than any comparable legislation, you are mistaken.

“And if you do not believe that those safeguards are in place, do not vote for this legislation.”

[Dan Hitchens @ddhitchens]

Jamie Hepburn (SNP), who supported the bill at Stage 1, says he was “disappointed” at the rejection of amendments, including on institutional opt-out, and at the “inability to demonstrate” how opt-outs would work for doctors.

He is now “unable to support this bill”.

[Dr Jonny Blackwell @JonnyBlackwell]

@Babs_B2 @HotchkissRhona @BelleStarrC1666 Just for context.

[Dr Jonny Blackwell @JonnyBlackwell]

Reason #6 why 200 Scottish Healthcare Professionals urge MSPs to vote down this Bill.

There are more MSPs than WTE Palliative Care Consultants in Scotland! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[Dr Jonny Blackwell @JonnyBlackwell]

Breaking:

188 Scottish Healthcare Professionals Warn
of “Serious Risks” Ahead of Assisted Dying
Vote

Our open letter sent to all MSPs today in full. 👇

1/2

[Scottish Express @ScotExpress]

Legal expert blows hole through Assisted Dying Bill hours before MSPs vote at Holyrood - https://t.co/D0j7ySvziG

https://t.co/D0j7ySvziG

[Dan Hitchens @ddhitchens]

1. McArthur claims (in today’s Scotsman) that this is “the toughest and most comprehensively safeguarded assisted dying bill in the world.”

Yet the bill lacks at least a dozen important safeguards present in other jurisdictions:

[patricia valkeith @patriciavalkei1]

@JonnyBlackwell My mother suffered with depression for many years when i was a child ,she even tried to take her own life once many years ago she manage to get over it with a little help and support if she had this Assisted Dying in place she wouldnt of lived another 35 years

[Care Not Killing Scotland @CNKScotland]

Great turnout at the parliament today - cross section of society speaking up for the vulnerable…

[The Other Half @OtherHalfOrg]

"Today, MSPs must take responsibility to protect vulnerable Scots.

The only way to do so is reject this Bill outright, with a resounding “no”."

Domestic abuse expert Dr @AnniDonaldson in today's Scottish Sun

[Dr Jonny Blackwell @JonnyBlackwell]

@paulmcginley_ @Babs_B2 @HotchkissRhona @BelleStarrC1666 Scotland’s population 5,546,900
0.9 palliative care consultants per 100,000 = 49.92 whole time equivalent consultants for the whole of Scotland.

That’s 2.58 MSPs for every palliative care consultant.

[Humza Yousaf @HumzaYousaf]

I can't think of a more consequential Bill on which to make my final speech as an MSP

I've immense empathy for those suffering with a terminal illness. However, I cannot in good conscience support legislation that could be abused to coerce the most vulnerable to end their lives.

[Our duty of care UK @OurDutyOfCare]

Assisted suicide does not ‘guarantee’ a death that is peaceful, painless or quick.

[Gill Gentles @gillygen]

The important things haven’t changed.