Chula Goonasekera highlights several critical issues that need to be taken into account with assisted dying legislation. Plus letters from Jonathan Haydn-Williams and Eric Foxley

As a doctor, I find it challenging to reconcile the idea of authorising or consenting to life-ending medication even when legally justified (Cabinet minister Liz Kendall says she will vote for assisted dying, 14 November). My entire training has been centred on preserving life. During the ongoing deliberations, decision-makers must consider several critical points carefully.

First, advancements in medicine have enabled patients with severe illnesses to live longer, often through supportive and definitive therapies that slow disease progression, prioritising life preservation over hastening death.