Care Not Killing welcomes defeat of Lauren Edwards' assisted suicide bill

Lauren Edwards MP

Source: Care Not Killing

Following Friday's rejection of Lauren Edwards' Assisted Suicide Bill, Dr Gordon Macdonald, Chief Executive of Care Not Killing, commented: "This was a decisive vote by MPs, who have over the last 24 months seen through the pernicious pretence that this draft legislation was safe and wouldn't put pressure on vulnerable people to end their lives prematurely.

"We heard from numerous MPs, echoing comments made by the Prime Minister, that fixing the palliative and social care systems should be the priority for the Government, rather than pressing ahead with this dangerous and ideological piece of legislation that did not have the support of a single major doctors' or disability rights group. Indeed, only this morning we heard again the concerns of the UK's amazing network of hospices, which saw this bill as a disastrous distraction.

"Our hope is that MPs now focus on repairing palliative care in the UK and securing the necessary funding to make sure that no matter what part of the country you live in, you can access the best possible care available and are treated with dignity and respect. As one of many doctors have said, we need much more care, not killing."

Dr Macdonald added: "It was disappointing to see a small number of MPs, in what can only have been an attempt to scare their colleagues into supporting this bill, peddle disingenuous myths about what people will experience at the end of life and the ludicrous claims this draft legislation was safe. They should reflect on the heartache and concern they have caused to many vulnerable, elderly and disabled people. As we see from recent polling of disabled people, more than one in four fear being pressured into assisted suicide if it were legalised, rising to almost two-thirds (62%) of disabled people aged between 18-34. This concern is based on the real-life experience of what has happened in a small number of jurisdictions that have legalised either assisted suicide or euthanasia.

"In the US state of Oregon, the model for this draft Bill, a majority of those ending their lives cite fear of being a burden as a reason. While their law, introduced for terminally ill adults, has expanded to include people with diabetes, arthritis and eating disorders such as anorexia.

"In Canada, which introduced a tightly defined law in 2016, just three years later it had been expanded from terminally ill adults to anyone suffering, and some legislators continue to push to regularise euthanasia for those with mental health problems. Perhaps most shocking of all, under their track 2 procedure, those from the poorest backgrounds or with a disability were much more likely to have their lives ended by the state."

Dr Macdonald concluded: "Our current laws protect vulnerable people and MPs have rightly said they do not need changing; it's time to move beyond this debate and fix palliative care."

Care Not Killing is a UK-based alliance bringing together over 40 organisations - human rights and disability rights organisations, health care and palliative care groups, faith-based organisations groups - and thousands of concerned individuals.
Read more about Care Not Killing: https://carenotkilling.org.uk/

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