A campaign to legalise euthanasia in the UK has the backing of the majority of nurses, according to a poll published on Tuesday.

Of those questioned in the survey for Nursing Times magazine, a third thought they should be allowed to help patients to commit suicide, while two thirds wanted to see legislation passed in Britain similar to that in Switzerland and the Netherlands, which allows anyone to help a patient die.

A quarter of the 2,700 nursing staff questioned admitted being approached to help someone die, while 40 per cent admitted that they had already taken a step in that direction.

"Over 80 per cent of the public support the right of terminally ill patients to choose medical help to die, but this major survey breaks new ground in seeking out the views of nurses," said Deborah Annetts, director of the Voluntary Euthanasia Society.

"That nearly two thirds of nurses support the patient's right to choose is a real boost to terminally ill people campaigning for a change in the law.

"The liaison committee of the House of Lords has recommended a select committee consider the Patient (Assisted Dying) Bill in the new year, so this is a very timely consultation of nursing professionals."

Editor of Nursing Times magazine, Rachel Downey, claimed that the results were unsurprising.

"Nurses are at the side of dying patients who are in extreme discomfort and they want to ease that pain and suffering," she said.

"However at present they are placed in a very difficult and unclear position.

"As our survey reveals, one in four nurses have administered higher doses of pain relief medication to ease the suffering of their patients but knowing this could advance death.

"However our survey shows that one third of nurses are opposed to any legislation of euthanasia. Therefore an open, transparent debate is needed."