Calls for Home Secretary to block 'Dr Death' visit to demonstrate 'suicide collar' ahead of Assisted Dying Bill vote

Lauren Edwards MP, who has re-introduced the controversial 'assisted dying' Bill

MPs and campaigners have called on called on the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, to prevent Dr Nitschke from being allowed into the UK to demonstrate his Kairos 'suicide collar' device this weekend ahead of the Second Reading vote on the Edwards assisted dying Bill.

Philip Nitschke, the controversial founder of Swiss euthanasia organisation Exit International, nicknamed 'Dr Death', plans to bring his 'suicide collar' device to London to demonstrate at a booked out event this Saturday, 5 September - just six days before MPs vote at Second Reading on Lauren Edwards' revived assisted dying Bill.

The collar, called 'Kairos', consists of two balloons that exert pressure on the carotid artery, leading first to unconsciousness and then to death.

Earlier this year, Philip Nitschke said that he would conduct the first assisted suicide using the collar on a woman in Switzerland who would be his first 'test subject'.

Suicide devices could be legal to use for assisted suicides here if new assisted suicide Bill passes.

Labour MP Lauren Edwards has tabled a new assisted dying Bill that will be voted on by MPs at Second Reading on Friday 11 September. The new Bill is near-identical in form to Kim Leadbeater's assisted suicide Bill from the previous parliamentary session that failed to become law.

The 'suicide collar' is one of a number of suicide devices promoted by Dr Nitschke which also include the Sarco assisted suicide pod.

Dr Nitschke said that he would look to launch a suicide pod service in the UK had the Leadbeater Bill become law.

Leading legal academics confirmed that the broad wording of Ms Leadbeater's Bill would make Dr Nitschke's machine legal in Britain with the Health Secretary's approval. They predicted that should it not get approval from the Health Secretary, those with swallowing difficulties or needle phobias would likely bring a discrimination challenge under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The near-identical new Bill includes the same provision that would make the assisted suicide pods legal in England and Wales. (see: Relevant Leadbeater Bill provisions and Relevant Edwards Bill provisions. )

Sir John Hayes CBE MP, former Cabinet Minister and one of Parliament's longest-serving MPs, said: "It is deeply disturbing that Philip Nitschke wishes to advertise his latest sinister suicide device in this country just days before the nation marks Suicide Prevention Day next Thursday."

"I am calling on the Home Secretary to urgently review the wisdom of allowing Dr Nitschke into the country for this reason. We should not be promoting suicide."

"The planned event is also a sobering reminder of how an assisted suicide industry would likely emerge and be promoted should MPs vote next week to change the law in this area."

Alisdair Hungerford-Morgan, Chief Executive of Right To Life UK, a charity that opposes the introduction of assisted suicide and euthanasia, and campaigns instead for greater investment in palliative care, said:

"Just days before MPs vote on Lauren Edwards' assisted suicide Bill, Philip Nitschke plans to come to the UK to demonstrate his new 'suicide collar'."

"We are calling on the Home Secretary to urgently intervene to prevent Nitschke from entering the UK to demonstrate and promote this dangerous device."

"This is not the first time Nitschke has set his sights on the UK. He previously announced plans to launch a service using his Sarco suicide pod here if the last assisted suicide Bill became law. Leading legal academics confirmed that the broad wording of that Bill would allow the Sarco to be used in Britain if it secured the approval of the Health Secretary."

"Lauren Edwards' Bill retains the same provision. It explicitly allows a device to be prepared to enable someone to self-administer a lethal substance, opening the door to Sarco pods being used for assisted suicides here."

"In its equality impact assessment on the new Bill, the Government has warned that structural pressures such as poverty, inadequate care, neglect and abuse could result in disproportionate numbers of people from ethnic-minority backgrounds opting to end their lives through assisted suicide."

"Parliament should be focusing on introducing policies that provide care, protection and support for people facing these structural pressures who may feel pressure to end their lives, not passing an assisted suicide Bill that Philip Nitschke has made clear he would seek to use to introduce his suicide devices here in the UK."

"MPs must reject this dangerous Bill at Second Reading on 11 September."

If you would like to talk with someone about issues raised in this article, the Samaritans are available 24 hours a day. Call free on 116 123 or visit: www.samaritans.org

Read more about Care Not Killing: https://carenotkilling.org.uk/