The BGS is pleased that the House of Commons has voted against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at second reading. We had serious concerns that the bill did not contain adequate safeguards to protect older people, the group most likely to be impacted by a change in the law.
Most deaths in England and Wales (70%) are in older people over 75 but the bill contained no specific safeguards that would protect older people from abuse and coercion, including pressures which may make them feel like a burden. The bill also lacked provisions that recognised the complex needs of older people with multiple conditions, including a comprehensive, holistic assessment of needs.
We were also concerned by the lack of clarity surrounding the bill’s definition of terminal illness, which risked misinterpretation. Government guidance indicated that a person could be eligible for an assisted death if they had multiple conditions which, if taken individually, would not be considered terminal, but when considered together could result in death within six months. This significantly broadens the scope of the bill and could bring many more people within its remit. Although death is inevitable for those at the end of their natural life, the timing of death can be highly unpredictable for those with multiple conditions. A lack of clarity around the definition of terminal illness therefore risks being open to interpretation and could result in people being considered eligible based on an uncertain prognosis.
The BGS recognises that public opinion on the issue of assisted dying is changing, and it is therefore likely that the UK Parliament may consider a change in the law again in the future. If this occurs, we urge Parliament to ensure that our concerns are addressed from the outset.
