Assisted Dying Bill: reactions to the historic vote

Disability campaigners have reacted with shock and sadness after the historic vote on Friday in favour of the Assisted Dying Bill.

They believe the bill would place vulnerable, terminally ill and disabled individuals in danger. It also sends a damaging message that some lives are less worth living and less worth protecting.

While other campaign groups believe this is a historic turning point in the campaign for a safe and compassionate assisted dying law. They say that the bill would stop people from taking drastic action to end their own lives, or travelling at a considerable cost to die in a foreign country.

MPs voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill by just 23 votes, and it will now be passed to the House of Lords for the same level of scrutiny before MPs get a final say on any changes.

• Further reading: Learning Disability Week: the real issues we should be talking about

Leading up to the vote, the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the Royal College of Physicians, the Association for Palliative Medicine, and disability campaigners voiced concerns about the bill.

The Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, also questioned the ethics of such a service (in a message to constituents) before significant improvements could be made to the NHS, which would take time and money.

He said there wasn’t a budget to set up the service and added, “Politics is about prioritising. It is a daily series of choices and trade-offs. I fear we’ve made the wrong one.”

Will vulnerable individuals be given the best choice of care?

The Down Syndrome Research Foundation UK said that they were profoundly saddened by the vote and now believe increased difficulties lie ahead for the Down syndrome community.

Chair Dr Elizabeth Corcoran added: “This vote turns the principles of healthcare on its head. We can no longer trust that ‘healthcare’ in the NHS will mean vulnerable individuals are given the best chance of care – they may instead legally meet death sooner than they need to. Coercion and difficulties in being understood and supported could become fatal in the UK healthcare system of tomorrow. This is a heart-rending concern for the Down’s syndrome community, and for all those with intellectual disabilities.

“We are shocked that the Bill in its present form has passed the Third Reading. All suggested amendments to make the Bill more securely safeguarded for people with intellectual disabilities were rejected. Proponents of the bill have been dismissive about how dangerous this is, and have deferred the responsibility to other legal provisions like the Mental Capacity Act, which we know is not designed for this scenario. Other countries like the Netherlands have seen the euthanising of individuals with intellectual disabilities, and it is devastating to see the UK paving the way for that to become reality here too.”

Disability Rights UK also said in a statement that it was devastated to hear of the passing of the Assisted Dying Bill in the House of Commons.

“We extend our solidarity to all the Disabled people, DPOs, campaigners and MPs who have worked together to oppose this bill and have Disabled voices highlighted. It is deeply disappointing that the vote was narrowly in favour of the Bill and will now go to the House of Lords,” it added.

“Such a monumental change to our health and social care and culture within it should not be rushed through on a Private Member’s Bill on such a slim margin. Legislation of this enormity needs far more time and safeguarding.”

Public education is needed about dying and end-of-life choices

The End-of-Life Care Coalition (NELCC) said that it wants to see people supported to make informed decisions, not just about assisted dying but about end-of-life generally. It has offered to work with parliamentarians to make this a reality.

It added that everyone deserves the chance to meet death without fear or regret, confident that their choices were their own and supported by those who care for them.

Professor Julian Abel and Professor Allan Kellehear, Joint Chairs for NELCC, said it was a good time to address how we approach end-of-life care in this country.

They added: “When it comes to the beginning of life, we have many types of support to help people make decisions, such as family planning services, sex education, abortion counselling, and advice from GPs. These are usually offered as information, education, and discussion opportunities and are part of a public health approach. They give people space to learn, ask questions, talk through fears or misunderstandings, and reflect – all in private, and with someone who isn’t personally invested in the decision and therefore may be biased.

“We believe the same kind of support should be available at the initial consultation when someone is facing a choice to make at the end of life. NELCC is proposing a new type of End-of-Life Advice Service specialising in this type of end-of-life care. Like its namesake, this End-of-Life Advice Service would be supported by a range of local and national charities in the end-of-life sector. This impartial advice will describe the strengths and limitations of different services such as specialist palliative care, hospice, doula, assisted dying, residential aged care, assisted living and so on.

“Dying affects not just the person who is nearing death, but those around them too. That’s why death literacy – knowing how to talk about, understand, and make choices around dying – should be seen as part of public health. Like with any major decision, people need space, information, and support to make choices that truly reflect what they want and need.”

Alison Bloomer

Alison Bloomer is Editor of Learning Disability Today.

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