The Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill: an inappropriate response to the challenge of caring for the dying

Abstract

The Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill concerns deliberate acts to end life, not assisting in the natural dying process. The Bill was the subject of a House of Lords Select Committee Report which will form the basis of debate in the House of Commons when the legislation is reintroduced in the current parliamentary session. Practical issues of patient assessment and implementation of physician-assisted suicide are not addressed in this legislation. There is a lack of reliable evidence as to how most dying patients feel about euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. The interests of dying patients would be better served by increasing access to palliative care, making care of the dying a priority for our society.