You may be aware that in July this year, an ‘Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill’ was introduced into the UK Parliament. Although there are many stages before the bill is even voted upon, there has already been considerable interest from both sides of the argument. It is a very emotive subject and one that needs careful attention.
At the end of last month, the Welsh Parliament debated whether the Welsh Government should support it. I voted against the motion, along with the majority of other Members.
I sympathise wholeheartedly as to why people want assisted dying brought into law, and I understand that some people go through enormous amounts of pain before passing, something that needs urgent addressing.
However, in the short time that has lapsed in those countries that have introduced assisted dying, many serious issues have already been raised. In Canada, it is now the fifth leading cause of death, and there have been troubling reports of people accessing assisted dying because they feel they are too poor or because of conditions such as hearing loss.
The major issue is that once the assisted dying option is opened, there is no stopping legal challenges to increase eligibility criteria. In Canada, from 2027 they are going to allow people suffering solely from mental health issues with no physical condition at all to access assisted dying. In the Netherlands, the option has now been extended to include children.
My biggest concern however is that by introducing assisted dying we change the narrative from how we can provide ‘the best possible care for someone dying’, to 'at what point they now become a burden', financially or otherwise, and this will lead to undue pressure for them to access assisted dying. This is the foremost concern of disabled, vulnerable and older people who already have to contend every day with how society values and treats them.
We all want the same for those suffering: dignity and compassion, but euthanasia isn’t the answer. We need to scrutinise and consider more deeply the care offered to those who are dying and in considerable pain. We need to focus more closely on how to ‘age well’ and, we need to invest more in palliative care.
ENDS
