THE early publication of a Private Member’s Bill to legalise assisted dying will not facilitate the depth of debate needed on a society-shifting issue, bishops have warned.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, from the Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, is to be debated on 29 November. MPs will be given a free vote. The Bill seeks to allow life-ending medical help for terminally ill adults with no more than six months to live, in England and Wales (News, 16 October, 25 October; Leader comment and Press, 11 October).
On Monday, a draft of the Bill was published. It states that a terminally ill adult “may, on request, be provided with assistance to end their own life”. The person must be over-18 at the time of request, be a resident of and registered with a GP practice in England and Wales.
The person must have expressed a “clear, settled and informed wish to end their own life . . . voluntarily and has not been coerced or pressured by any other person”, it says.
Definitions of “terminal illness” and “capacity” are given.
On the part played by medical practitioners, the Bill states that they are not under any obligation to raise the possibility of assisted dying, but nor are they prevented from doing so. If it is raised by the patient, and the medical practitioner declines to discuss it, the practitioner must refer the patient on to another practitioner. This person is named as the “coordinating” doctor.
A declaration of intent must be signed and dated by the patient and proof of identity provided. A second assessment must be made by a doctor independent of the case. This is to include whether the patient is terminally ill and has the capacity to end their own life. The Bill states that the “training, qualifications and experience” of this person is to be specified by the Secretary of State.
If the declaration has not been cancelled by the patient in this time, this and statements from the coordinating and independent doctors must be presented in an application to the High Court, which “may hear and question” these individuals and their statements.
A second declaration must then be made to the Court of Appeal. The time before and between these periods — 14 days — is considered to be “a period of reflection” for the person wishing to end their own life. This person may cancel their first or second declarations at any time through communication with any medical practitioner within their registered GP surgery.
The Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, who is the lead bishop for healthcare, said in a statement on Tuesday that MPs were being given “a very short period of time to consider the most complex and emotive of all issues. Ultimately, they will be asked to make a fundamental decision that will affect so many lives, off the back of just five hours of debate. Should assisted suicide be introduced, there would be unintended and serious consequences for the whole of society, especially for those who are at the most vulnerable point of their lives, and for those who love and care for them.”
She continued: “We are seeing growing concern about the potential impact of this Bill from a wide range of groups including palliative care doctors, disabled people, feminist and legal commentators.”
The Church, she concluded, supported calls from the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, to fund and resource palliative-care services adequately, and “in particular we strongly back action to ensure that our hospices receive the level of state funding that they are so badly lacking at present.”
The Vicar of St Luke’s, Hammersmith, the Revd Richard Bastable, posted on social media: “Whilst I am please [sic] that the bill will be published early to allow scrutiny, surely having to make an exception to the usual expectations reveals that a PMB is not the appropriate way to consider legislation of such great significance and — dare I say — danger and risk.”
The Bishop of Winchester, the Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen, retweeted, saying: “Quite. To do this is to admit the inadequacy of the process. The text of the bill will hardly facilitate the depth of debate needed.”
In a statement on Monday, the parliamentary group Christians on the Left agreed that “policymakers have a responsibility to think through this issue rigorously, considering the ethical values at play and the possible consequences of change. . . As Christian Socialists — we believe that human beings are made in the image of God. There is a value in all human life, however young or old, healthy or terminally ill.
“This does not mean it should be prolonged beyond its natural end, but medicine usually understands this.”
Legalising assisted dying, the statement says, “is not the same as a decision to alleviate pain with a potential consequence of shortening the patient’s life. We believe that this legal change will mark a wider shift in the way our society regards human life. . . It is also naive to believe that people facing the end of life will be given a genuine choice about what to do” because of under-funded and under-resourced hospice care.”
The group gives the example of evidence given to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry that, during the pandemic, “some elderly and disabled people found ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ instructions were issued arbitrarily.”
Territorial Leaders of The Salvation Army in the UK and Ireland, Commissioners Paul and Jenine Main have written a letter to Salvation Army officers, Salvationists, Salvation Army leaders and members about their campaign to lobby against the bill.
The letter states: “Legalising assisted suicide, however well-intentioned, could place unintended pressures in moments of vulnerability. Called to reflect the love of Jesus Christ, we seek to alleviate pain and offer compassionate support. We journey alongside people who suffer and uphold their inherent, God-given sanctity at every stage and experience of life.”
The Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, has already expressed his opposition to assisted dying. On Tuesday, the Archbishop of Southwark, the Most Revd John Wilson, released a video message on social media urging MPs to oppose the Bill, to “care for those who are suffering, not to bring about their death”.
The threat, he said, was “not just physical but moral and spiritual too. We are duty bound to stand up and challenge this attack on human dignity on all fronts.” He concluded: “Who are we to say a life is not worth living or that someone is better off dead because society values their contribution less than someone else?”
Other church leaders, including the former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey have supported the Bill (News, 1 November).