UK House of Commons Passes Assisted Dying Law for England and Wales

In a vote where the main parties did not whip Members of Parliament to vote on party lines, a law was passed to allow people in England and Wales who have less than six months to live the right to an assisted death.

In addition to a six-month terminal diagnosis, the law requires approval from two doctors and a panel including a psychiatrist, social worker and senior lawyer before a person will be granted access to assisted death.

The bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, who is a former chief nursing officer in  England, articulated shortfalls in way the new law will work. People will be at risk of being coerced, or of being pressured into assisted death as preferable to struggling with social care and palliative care systems that are stretched too thin and may fall short.

Mullally said, “It does not prevent terminally ill people who perceive themselves to be a burden to their families and friends from choosing assisted dying. And it would mean that we became a society where the state fully funds a service for terminally ill people to end their own lives but shockingly only funds around one-third of palliative care.”

Such issues deeply split MPs. Some of the issues have been problematic with Canada’s assisted dying law.

The bill goes to the House of Lords next. If it passes there, government and NHS will have four years to implement it.

Click here for more details.