Assisted Dying Legislation: A Dignified End of Life

“As a Christian, I embarked on my own journey before confirming my stance on assisted dying, wrestling with and reflecting on what is truly best and compassionate for terminally ill people nearing the end of their lives. It is my belief that we should not prolong a life in agony and rather, we ought to empower terminally ill people to have autonomy as they near the end of their lives.” ¹

Wera has been a strong advocate for a compassionate approach to the ongoing debate surrounding assisted dying in the UK.

Rooted in her belief that individuals deserve autonomy over their end of life decisions, Wera advocates for the right to a dignified death for terminally ill, mentally competent adults. For many, the proposed change in the law will act as nothing more than an insurance policy, but for others, it has the potential to alleviate unbearable suffering for themselves and their families. With suicide rates amongst the terminally ill more than double that of the general population², and up to 650 people taking their own lives every year³, the current law has left many feeling abandoned at the most vulnerable time in their lives.

However, on 16th October 2024, Labour MP Kim Leadbeater introduced the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill⁴. This Bill, which is set to be debated and voted on later this year, would allow terminally ill adults, under strict safeguards, to request assistance in ending their own lives. For the Bill to become law, it would need to pass through both MPs and peers⁵. This marks a significant step in the conversation around assisted dying in the UK, highlighting the growing recognition of the need for compassionate options at the end of life.

Embarking on a personal journey from opposition to support for the cause, Wera’s perspective has been especially influenced by an inspiring Bath resident Pauline Carrol, who leads the Bath and Bristol Dignity in Dying Campaign Group- a nationwide campaign organisation that advocates for the right to choose a dignified death for terminally ill mentally competent adults.⁶

The Current Legal Landscape and Political Developments

‘Assisted dying’ refers to a situation where a terminally ill person seeks medical assistance to obtain life-ending medication, which they administer themselves. Currently, in England and Wales assisting suicide is a crime under section 2(1) of the Suicide Act 1961, which makes it an offence to encourage or assist the suicide (or attempted suicide) of another person, punishable by up to 14 years in prison⁷. Similar laws exist in Northern Ireland, while in Scotland, assisting suicide could lead to prosecution for culpable homicide.⁸

In contrast, ‘assisted suicide’ has been legal in Switzerland since 1941, leading to what critics call ‘death tourism’ where terminally ill people from across the world travel to Switzerland to end their lives.⁹ The number of UK citizens joining Dignitas, a Swiss organisation that facilitates assisted dying, has grown significantly in recent years with membership jumping to 1,900 people in 2023 – a 24% increase on the year before.¹⁰ This trend reflects increasing frustration with the UK law. Additionally, the cost of such a treatment has skyrocketed in the last five years to £15,000 ¹¹, and is therefore an unaffordable option for most.

While the UK continues to prohibit assisted dying, other jurisdictions within the British Isles are making strides toward reform. Both the Isle of Man and Jersey are actively considering legislation that would create the first legal frameworks for assisted dying in the region, potentially paving the way for broader reform across the UK.

At the UK parliamentary level, the government continues to maintain a neutral position, treating the issue as one of conscience for individual parliamentarians. In 2022, the Conservative Government declared that they consider any potential change to the law to be “a matter for Parliament to decide and an issue of conscience for individual parliamentarians rather than one for Government policy”¹². In December 2023, Keir Starmer was reported to be personally supportive of a change in the law; however, he said the appropriate way to deal with any changes would be through a free vote by MPs on a Private Member’s Bill to respect the “strong views” on either side ¹³.

Parliament has consistently failed to pass assisted dying legislation, with several Private Member’s Bills in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords being defeated¹⁴. In 2015, the issue was last put to a vote in the commons when Labour MP Rob Marris introduced the Assisted Dying (No.2) Bill. A motion on legislation was defeated by 330 votes to 180 ¹⁵.

Since then, there has been a marked shift in public opinion and political momentum appears to be building. The issue featured in the Conservative, Liberal Democrat, and Green Party manifestos in 2024¹⁶, and a significant shift in public opinion suggests growing support for reform.

Polling by Populus in 2019 found that 84% of people, including 85% of people with a disability, support changing the law to give terminally ill adults the option of assisted dying¹⁷. Even more recently, polling carried out by Opinium Research, on behalf of Dignity and Dying, canvassed 10,897 adults across the UK in 2024 and found that: 52% of Brits would personally consider travelling to Switzerland if terminally ill and more than 63% agree that legalising assisted dying would be safer than the current ban, with just 11% believing it would be less safe¹⁸.

In Bath, the recent polling suggests that 83% of Bathonians support legalising assisted dying, the second highest percentage in any constituency across the UK. Furthermore, when asked what their preferred action from their MP would be, the most selected answer in Bath was ‘would want my MP to vote for legalising assisted dying’¹⁹.

Wera’s Work in Parliament

Wera has persistently stressed that improving palliative care and legalising assisted dying are not mutually exclusive goals, but complementary strategies for ensuring dignity in death. She has continually called for debates in parliamentary time on the issue²⁰¹¹, and in April 2024, after over 200,000 people signed an e-petition²² calling for a parliamentary vote on assisted dying, Wera participated in Westminster Hall debate alongside a vast number of MPs. The petition was created by the Daily Express Newspaper’s ‘Give us our last rights’ campaign, which was supported by Dignity in Dying and Dame Esther Rantzen, a well-known advocate for legal change and herself suffering from terminal lung cancer. Wera explained that her views have evolved through a personal journey, leading her to support the legalisation of assisted dying and the belief that those facing unbearable, terminal pain should have the option to choose a dignified end rather than endure suffering against their will.

Ethical Concerns and Safeguards

“The Government have amended the Health and Care Act 2022 so as to fully fund palliative and hospice services in the future. That is very welcome, but it is not enough. Our current law needs to change. One approach should not exclude the other.”²³

Opponents of assisted dying, such as organisation Care Not Killing, argue that legalising the practice could lead to abuse, with vulnerable individuals potentially coerced into ending their lives prematurely²⁴. This concern is compounded by the prevalence of elder abuse in the UK, as 400,000 older people²⁵ are estimated to have tragically experienced domestic abuse in the last year alone. Safeguards are therefore crucial to ensuring that only those who meet strict criteria can access assisted dying.

Addressing concerns of coercion and abuse, Wera emphasises the requirement that the patient be mentally competent and diagnosed as terminally ill prior to their decision being made. She believes in a change of legislation so that people have the right to choose but only subject to rigorous safeguarding to avoid abuse. These safeguards aim to balance the autonomy of terminally ill patients with the need to protect vulnerable individuals.

The hope is for everyone to receive outstanding care and dignity at the end of their lives, whether that be hospice care or the right to choose assisted dying. To that end, Wera has engaged closely with local hospice Dorothy House to hear all sides of the debate. Dorothy House provides personalised care to support those in the Bath community in the final “1000 days” of their lives²⁶. Their compassionate, expert care helps both patients and their families, offering personalised care to meet the needs of each individual, with specialist palliative care including creative and complementary therapies.

Wera has spoken with the Chief Executive of the hospice, Wayne de Leeuw, about the funding and operational challenges that adult health and social care is facing, emphasising the need for urgent attention to ensure that high-quality health and social care services do not fall into crisis. They also touched on the topic of assisted dying during one of her visits. The Bath MP spoke of the great reflection that she had given to the complex and sensitive issue, reiterating her support for allowing people the agency to choose a compassionate and dignified death if they wish and in the right circumstances. However, she made clear this should always be subject to rigorous safeguarding to prevent abuse and assisted at all stages by medical practitioners to ensure the safety and wellbeing of individuals in their last moments. Dorothy House also expressed their support for exploring all avenues to improving end-of-life care.

“Excellent palliative medicine and care such as those provided by Dorothy House are a vital support to patients and their families helping to ensure comfort and dignity in death.”²⁷

The Path Forward

The debate over assisted dying is far from settled. While there is still much work to be done, the increasing political momentum and the evolving public discourse on assisted dying offer hope for future legislative change. Wera remains at the forefront of this debate, fighting for a compassionate approach to end-of-life care that allows terminally ill individuals the dignity and autonomy they deserve.

Her work alongside local and national campaigners, as well as healthcare professionals, demonstrates her commitment to ensuring that no one should be forced to live or die in agony when there are safe, humane alternatives available.