Latest news with #terminallyill
The Independent
3 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Assisted dying: All you need to know following the crunch Commons vote
The assisted dying Bill cleared the House of Commons in a historic vote on Friday, with MPs backing moves to legalise it by a slim majority. Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the Bill and what happens next after a significant moment in its journey to become law. – What is in the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill? The proposed legislation would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death. This would be subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist. The terminally ill person would take an approved substance, provided by a doctor but administered only by the person themselves. On Friday, MPs voted 314 to 291, majority 23, in favour of legalising assisted dying as they completed the mainstay of their work on the Bill. It will now face further debate in the House of Lords. – When would assisted dying be available if the Bill became law? The implementation period has been doubled to a maximum of four years from royal assent, the point it is rubber stamped into law, rather than the initially suggested two years. If the Bill was to pass later this year that would mean it might not be until 2029, potentially coinciding with the end of this Government's parliament, that assisted dying was being offered. Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who is the parliamentarian behind the Bill and put forward the extended timeframe, has insisted it is 'a backstop' rather than a target, as she pledged to 'hold the Government's feet to the fire' on implementing legislation should the Bill pass. The extended implementation period was one of a number of changes made since the Bill was first introduced to the Commons back in October. – What other changes have there been? On Friday, MPs bolstered the Bill so people with eating disorders are ruled out of falling into its scope. Another amendment, requiring ministers to report within a year of the Bill passing on how assisted dying could affect palliative care, was also approved by MPs. Previously, a High Court safeguard was dropped, with the oversight of judges in the assisted dying process replaced with expert panels. The change was much criticised by opponents, who said it weakened the Bill, but Ms Leadbeater has argued it strengthens it. At the end of a weeks-long committee process earlier this year to amend the Bill, Ms Leadbeater said rather than removing judges from the process, 'we are adding the expertise and experience of psychiatrists and social workers to provide extra protections in the areas of assessing mental capacity and detecting coercion while retaining judicial oversight'. Changes were also made to ensure the establishment of independent advocates to support people with learning disabilities, autism or mental health conditions and to set up a disability advisory board to advise on legal implementation and impact on disabled people. Amendments added earlier this month during report stage in the Commons will also see assisted dying adverts banned if the Bill becomes law, and a prohibition on medics being able to speak to under-18s about assisted dying. – Do we know much more about the potential impact of such a service coming in? A Government impact assessment, published earlier this month, estimated that between 164 and 647 assisted deaths could potentially take place in the first year of the service, rising to between 1,042 and 4,559 in year 10. The establishment of a Voluntary Assisted Dying Commissioner and three-member expert panels would cost an estimated average of between £10.9 million and £13.6 million per year, the document said. It had 'not been possible' to estimate the overall implementation costs at this stage of the process, it added. While noting that cutting end-of-life care costs 'is not stated as an objective of the policy', the assessment estimated that such costs could be reduced by as much as an estimated £10 million in the first year and almost £60 million after 10 years. – Do healthcare staff have to take part in assisted dying? It was already the case that doctors would not have to take part, but MPs have since voted to insert a new clause into the Bill extending that to anyone. The wording means 'no person', including social care workers and pharmacists, is obliged to take part in assisted dying and can now opt out. Amendments to the Bill were debated on care homes and hospices also being able to opt out but these were not voted on. Ms Leadbeater has previously said there is nothing in the Bill to say they have to, nor is there anything to say they do not have to, adding on the Parliament Matters podcast that this is 'the best position to be in' and that nobody should be 'dictating to hospices what they do and don't do around assisted dying'. – What will happen next? Friday's vote in the Commons makes it more likely for the assisted dying Bill to become law, now that it has the backing of a majority of MPs. But this is not guaranteed, and first it must continue on a journey through Parliament. The Bill now heads to the House of Lords, as both Houses of Parliament must agree its final text before it can be signed into law. During the next stages, peers are expected to put forward amendments to the Bill. If the Commons disagrees with these amendments, this will spark a process known as 'ping pong' which will continue until both Houses agree over its text. – Will the Bill definitely become law? There is a risk that the Bill could be stuck in a deadlock between the House of Commons and House of Lords, as it goes back and forth in disagreement. If this continues until the current session of Parliament ends, then the Bill would fall. Ms Leadbeater told journalists on Friday she hoped there were no attempts to purposefully wreck it by peers. 'I really hope there are no funny games, because the process has been extremely fair,' she said. The Spen Valley MP said she did not know when the current parliamentary session would end, but suggested it could stretch into late 2025, giving her Bill the best part of six months to complete the full parliamentary process. Speaking about the end of the session to reporters, Ms Leadbeater said: 'I am not imagining that is going to be imminently, but it could be before the end of the year.' One member of the House of Lords, Bishop of London Dame Sarah Mullally, has already indicated she is against it. The Church of England bishop said peers 'must oppose' the assisted dying Bill when it reaches them because of the 'mounting evidence that it is unworkable and unsafe'. – What about assisted dying in the rest of the UK and Crown Dependencies? The Isle of Man looks likely to become the first part of the British Isles to legalise assisted dying, after its proposed legislation passed through a final vote of the parliament's upper chamber in March. In what was hailed a 'landmark moment', members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) in May voted in favour of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, backing its general principles. It will now go forward for further scrutiny and amendments but will become law only if MSPs approve it in a final vote, which should take place later this year. Any move to legalise assisted dying in Northern Ireland would have to be passed by politicians in the devolved Assembly at Stormont. Jersey's parliament is expected to debate a draft law for an assisted dying service on the island for terminally ill people later this year. With a likely 18-month implementation period if a law is approved, the earliest it could come into effect would be summer 2027.
Times
4 hours ago
- Health
- Times
Suicide pod will be ready to use in UK, inventor says
An Australian right-to-die campaigner has vowed to bring a double-suicide pod to the UK after the bill to legalise assisted dying passed its final vote in the Commons. MPs voted on Friday by a majority of 23 to approve Kim Leadbeater's Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. The legislation will go to the next stage of scrutiny in the House of Lords but with the bill expected to become law, Dr Philip Nitschke, a prominent advocate for assisted dying, said he hoped to use his controversial Sarco suicide capsule in Britain for the first time. Terminally ill people in England and Wales with fewer than six months to live will be allowed to apply for an assisted death , subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist.
Globe and Mail
4 hours ago
- Health
- Globe and Mail
What's the status of assisted dying in countries around the world? Here's what to know
Britain's parliament voted on Friday in favour of a bill to legalize assisted dying, paving the way for the country's biggest social change in a generation. 314 lawmakers voted in favour with 291 against the bill, clearing its biggest parliamentary hurdle. The 'Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life)' law would give mentally competent, terminally ill adults in England and Wales with six months or less left to live the right to choose to end their lives with medical help. The vote puts Britain on course to follow Australia, Canada and other countries, as well as some U.S. states, in permitting assisted dying. Below is a list of countries which let people choose to end their lives, or are considering doing so. Canada introduced 'Medical Assistance in Dying' in 2016 for those whose death was deemed to be 'reasonably foreseeable.' Five years later, the law was extended to permit people with a 'grievous and irremediable' medical condition to request assisted dying. Opinion: When I provide assisted dying, it is about grace and choice – and that must remain the case Switzerland legalized assisted dying in 1942 on the condition the motive is not selfish, making it the first country in the world to permit the practice. A number of Swiss organizations such as Dignitas offer their services to foreign nationals. The 'Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide (Review Procedures) Act' came into effect in 2002. A doctor is immune from punishment for euthanasia and assisted suicide where patients are experiencing 'unbearable suffering with no prospect of improvement.' Minors can request euthanasia from the age of 12 but require parental permission before the age of 16. Belgium legalized medically assisted dying in 2002 for the terminally ill and for people experiencing unbearable suffering, which includes patients with psychiatric conditions. Since 2014, those under 18 who are terminally ill are covered by the law as long as they have parental permission. Medical aid in dying, also known as physician assisted dying, is legal in 10 states: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington, plus the District of Columbia. Oregon was the first state to legalize it under a law which came into effect in 1997. Voluntary assisted dying for the terminally ill or those with a condition that is causing intolerable suffering is legal in most Australian states, after being introduced first in Victoria in 2019. Spain approved a law in 2021 which allows euthanasia and medically assisted suicide for people with incurable or debilitating diseases who want to end their life. Assisted dying had been legal in Germany until 2015 when the country outlawed its provision on an organized or commercial basis, effectively banning it in many cases. Five years later the country's top court ruled in favour of groups providing terminally ill adults with assisted suicide services, but lawmakers are yet to finalize new rules. Doctors in France have been allowed to put a person who is close to death and in great pain under deep sedation since 2016. But they were not allowed to administer life-ending medication. French lawmakers voted in May 2025 to give some people in the later stages of a terminal illness the right to end their lives using a lethal substance, a law change supported by President Emmanuel Macron. The bill was approved by the National Assembly and is now being considered by the Senate. It could become law by 2027. A cross-party Irish parliamentary committee recommended this year that the government should legalize assisted dying in certain restricted circumstances. A majority of lawmakers in 2024 voted in favour of 'noting' the committee's findings. Steps could now be taken to consider a law change.
The Independent
4 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Hospices warn of facing ‘huge implications' after assisted dying Bill passed
Hospices and end-of-life care professionals will face 'huge implications' and 'seismic change' after the assisted dying Bill cleared the House of Commons, leading organisations have warned. MPs voted 314 to 291 in favour of the legislation, which would allow terminally ill adults with a life expectancy of under six months to end their lives, at third reading on Friday. Despite warnings from opponents around the safety of a Bill they argued has been rushed through, the Bill will now move to the House of Lords for further debate and scrutiny. Both Houses must agree the final text of the Bill before it can be signed into law. Reacting to the vote, Jan Noble, interim chief executive of St Christopher's Hospice, said: 'Today's vote to pass the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has huge implications for hospices and end-of-life care professionals. 'It is vital that the Government now provides assurance that the impact on hospices will be properly considered and that high-quality end-of-life care is made available to everyone across the country, and for that we need a better funding model for hospices. 'Our position on any change of law remains neutral but as the home of the modern hospice movement we're committed to providing expertise and evidence to policymakers and we're now urging the House of Lords to carefully consider the complex views of the public, particularly those with experience of health inequalities. 'We recognise this may be a difficult moment for many of those working in hospice and end-of-life care, as well as the wider health and social care sector. 'We are now looking to both the Government and the House of Lords for further reassurances that they will address the concerns raised by multiple professionals' bodies.' Toby Porter, chief executive of Hospice UK, said the vote represented 'a seismic change for end-of-life care in England and Wales' and the introduction of assisted dying would have 'a huge impact' on hospices. He said: 'Already, too many people don't get the care they need at the end of their lives. Today's decision brings the urgency to improve palliative care into even sharper focus, particularly for the most vulnerable members of society. 'Should the Bill become law, the Government has four years to bring about a transformation in palliative and end-of-life care. 'Nobody should ever feel that they have to choose an assisted death because they fear they won't get the care and support they need. As it stands, we are concerned this could become the case. 'The Bill does not detail where assisted dying will take place, or to what extent hospices will be involved. This leaves many unanswered questions for hospices, who are already under immense pressure.' Mr Porter added that Hospice UK also remained neutral on the principle of assisted dying but would work with other hospices and the Government 'to navigate the many operational challenges it poses'. An amendment to the Bill requiring ministers to report within a year of its passing on how assisted dying could affect palliative care was also approved by MPs ahead of Friday's vote. James Sanderson, chief executive of palliative care and bereavement charity Sue Ryder, said: 'We all care about how and where we will die and this review is a vital step in making sure everyone gets the care they need at the end of their life. 'Sue Ryder maintains a neutral position on assisted dying, but we are concerned that gaps in care could be leaving some people feeling it's their only option. 'Our research found that 77% of people felt that terminally ill people could be forced to consider an assisted death because the end-of-life care they need isn't available. That must change – no matter how the Bill progresses in its next stages through the House of Lords. 'We are calling for the Government to back our plan for a new ecosystem for palliative care that would mean more people can die with the care and the dignity they deserve.' Marie Curie welcomed the amendment, but warned that 'this will not on its own make the improvements needed to guarantee everyone is able to access the palliative care they need'.
The Independent
4 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Rantzen: MPs backing assisted dying Bill will protect people from ‘bad death'
Dame Esther Rantzen has said MPs backing the assisted dying Bill will make a 'huge positive difference' and protect terminally ill people from a 'bad death'. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will now head to the Lords after clearing the Commons on Friday afternoon, with MPs voting 314 in favour, 291 against, majority 23. Dame Esther, a notable supporter of campaign Dignity in Dying who has stage four lung cancer, told the PA news agency: 'This will make a huge positive difference, protecting millions of terminally ill patients and their families from the agony and loss of dignity created by a bad death. 'Thank you, Parliament.' Campaigners inside Parliament and outside in Parliament Square were jubilant and tearful following the result of the vote. Some MPs lined up to shake hands with or hug Kim Leadbeater, the Bill's sponsor through the Commons. Ms Leadbeater described the vote as a 'result that so many people need'. The Labour MP for Spen Valley said: 'Thank goodness we got the result that so many people need, but I also feel that it was done really respectfully and the atmosphere in the chamber was very civilised.' Outside, a cheer erupted as the result was announced on a livestream to a crowd who had huddled together in anticipation. Many cried and hugged each other, while others popped champagne. Dame Esther's daughter, Rebecca Wilcox, called her mother in front of supporters and told her she wished she was here. Ms Wilcox came to Parliament Square following the vote and hugged fellow campaigners and friends. She told PA that she gave Ms Leadbeater's mum a 'big hug' following the result and added: 'I don't know whether to have a drink or a really big cry. 'There were a few of us in the public gallery and we were all holding hands. I felt like we were on a rollercoaster. 'It was the longest pause when everyone came in and we were waiting for the four and when I heard a three for the 'ayes' I was quite positive. 'It was quite extraordinary. I turned around and gave Kim's mum a great big hug.' Sarah Wootton, chief executive of Dignity in Dying, told the crowd: 'This is for all the people who couldn't be here today. This vote sends a clear message. Parliament stands with the public and change is coming.' Sian Berry, a Green Party MP and one of the proposers of the Bill, told PA: 'We all have experience of loved ones at the end of their lives that have influenced this. So many of my constituents have written to me telling me their stories. You really feel the importance of what you're doing this for. 'I'm confident we have made the Bill robust and I do believe this reflects public opinion.' Supporter Tim Murphy, 39, from London, said: 'My friend David went to Dignitas four years ago and he had to die sooner than he should have had there been a workable law in this country. 'This will impact so many people. So much of the [opposition] campaign has been hypothetical situations in the future but not taking into consideration the actual deaths that have occurred.' Those opposed to the Bill were visibly disappointed. People had gathered to pray before the vote but the crowd of white-shirted campaigners quickly dispersed following the result. Many packed up their signs and left the square and did not speak to the press. Bishop of London Dame Sarah Mullally, a former chief nursing officer for England who sits in the House of Lords, said: 'Every person is of immeasurable and irreducible value, and should be able to access the care and support that they need – a principle that I know is shared by those of all faiths and none. 'We must oppose a law that puts the vulnerable at risk and instead work to improve funding and access to desperately needed palliative care services.' Sean Redfearn, 26, representing Christian Concern, said: 'It's disappointing the nation is stepping closer for people to take their own lives.' 'There is no progress as progress suggests flourishing and there's no flourishing with allowing the ending of a life.'
