Recommendations & Conclusions
9 items
1
Conclusion
Second Report - Assisted Dying/Assisted…
Deferred
Our aim for this report is for it to serve as a basis for discussion and debate in future Parliaments. We have therefore endeavoured to bring together a comprehensive and up-to-date body of evidence relating to this difficult, sensitive, and yet, crucial subject. The debate on AD/AS is not new, …
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Our aim for this report is for it to serve as a basis for discussion and debate in future Parliaments. We have therefore endeavoured to bring together a comprehensive and up-to-date body of evidence relating to this difficult, sensitive, and yet, crucial subject. The debate on AD/AS is not new, and our report is not intended to provide a resolution to it, but we do hope that it will be a significant and useful resource for future Parliamentarians.
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Government response AI summary
The government states that should Assisted Dying/Assisted Suicide legislation be enacted, it will discuss its practical and constitutional implications for England and Wales with the devolved administrations and Crown Dependencies.
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Department of Health and Social Care
3
Conclusion
Second Report - Assisted Dying/Assisted…
Deferred
A view put forward by some who have provided evidence to us was that the current state of the law is unclear.
Government response AI summary
The government's response details funding for hospices, including £25 million for children's hospices in 2024/25, and discusses disparities in hospice access, completely sidestepping the recommendation regarding the clarity of the law on Assisted Dying/Assisted Suicide.
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Department of Health and Social Care
5
Conclusion
Second Report - Assisted Dying/Assisted…
Deferred
We also heard about the documentation which has had to be secured as part of the application, including a medical report for the person applying. We note that the General Medical Council’s guidance for Investigation Committees assessing a doctor’s fitness to practice following an allegation of a doctor’s encouragement or …
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We also heard about the documentation which has had to be secured as part of the application, including a medical report for the person applying. We note that the General Medical Council’s guidance for Investigation Committees assessing a doctor’s fitness to practice following an allegation of a doctor’s encouragement or assistance in suicide, sets out that that providing access to a patient’s records where the request is made in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998, should be considered lawful or too distant from being considered encouragement or assistance. However, the BMA’s guidance recommend that doctors should not write medical reports specifically to facilitate assisted suicide abroad. Although it is not illegal to provide medical reports in this circumstance, it does not seem to be entirely clear to doctors what they are allowed to do. We would welcome revised guidance from the GMC and the BMA enabling doctors to assist their patients.
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Government response AI summary
The government states it does not plan to establish a national strategy for death literacy and outlines existing palliative and end-of-life care strategies and training, but does not address the recommendation for revised guidance from the GMC and BMA on doctors assisting with medical reports …
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Department of Health and Social Care
7
Conclusion
Second Report - Assisted Dying/Assisted…
Deferred
In the evidence we received we did not see any indications of palliative and end- of-life care deteriorating in quality or provision following the introduction of AD/ AS; indeed the introduction of AD/AS has been linked with an improvement in palliative care in several jurisdictions. We also conclude that jurisdictions …
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In the evidence we received we did not see any indications of palliative and end- of-life care deteriorating in quality or provision following the introduction of AD/ AS; indeed the introduction of AD/AS has been linked with an improvement in palliative care in several jurisdictions. We also conclude that jurisdictions which have introduced AD/AS on the basis of terminal illness have not changed the law to include eligibility on the basis of “unbearable suffering”. None of the jurisdictions which have introduced it have revoked the legislation.
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Government response AI summary
The government redirects responsibility for any change to the law regarding Assisted Dying/Assisted Suicide to Parliament, stating it is a matter of conscience for individual parliamentarians rather than a government policy matter.
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Department of Health and Social Care
8
Conclusion
Second Report - Assisted Dying/Assisted…
Deferred
When we undertook this inquiry, we were keen to learn as much as we could from international examples and we hope that by putting the evidence we have gathered into the public domain, we can help to further inform the debate on AD/AS in the UK. The fact that people …
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When we undertook this inquiry, we were keen to learn as much as we could from international examples and we hope that by putting the evidence we have gathered into the public domain, we can help to further inform the debate on AD/AS in the UK. The fact that people with very different overall views on AD/AS draw on international examples to support their arguments shows the complexity of the issue, but it is possible to look at what is happening elsewhere and to use it to learn more about this difficult and sensitive subject.
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Government response AI summary
The government redirects responsibility for any change to the law regarding Assisted Dying/Assisted Suicide to Parliament, stating it is a matter of conscience for individual parliamentarians rather than a government policy matter.
Read full response →
Department of Health and Social Care
9
Conclusion
Second Report - Assisted Dying/Assisted…
Deferred
There are as many ways to operate AD/AS as there are jurisdictions which have legalised it, but there are two distinct models: one limiting its availability to those with a terminal illness and the other adding provision for unbearable suffering. What has become clear to us is that better data …
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There are as many ways to operate AD/AS as there are jurisdictions which have legalised it, but there are two distinct models: one limiting its availability to those with a terminal illness and the other adding provision for unbearable suffering. What has become clear to us is that better data collection, independently verified and overseen by a dedicated body, leads to a better understanding of how the whole AD/AS process is working. The overall trend is that numbers of AD/AS will increase from the time of introduction, but opinions differ about the cause of the increase. Many of the jurisdictions we have looked at introduced AD/AS very recently, and there is still much to learn as time passes. (Paragraph 144) Involvement of physicians and assessments of eligibility and capacity to give informed consent
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Government response AI summary
The government redirects responsibility for any change to the law regarding Assisted Dying/Assisted Suicide to Parliament, stating it is a matter of conscience for individual parliamentarians rather than a government policy matter.
Read full response →
Department of Health and Social Care
10
Conclusion
Second Report - Assisted Dying/Assisted…
Deferred
Medical professionals would have an important role in any system of AD/AS, although the details are for Parliament to determine should it move to legalise AD/ AS. During our inquiry we have heard from healthcare professionals who were content to be involved, from others who were supportive of the practice …
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Medical professionals would have an important role in any system of AD/AS, although the details are for Parliament to determine should it move to legalise AD/ AS. During our inquiry we have heard from healthcare professionals who were content to be involved, from others who were supportive of the practice but did not want to participate themselves, as well as from those who were opposed to the practice in its entirety. We heard evidence that in the event that Parliament were to legislate for AD/AS a decision to participate should be freely taken by the individual healthcare professional and never imposed on them.
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Government response AI summary
The government redirects responsibility for any change to the law regarding Assisted Dying/Assisted Suicide to Parliament, stating it is a matter of conscience for individual parliamentarians rather than a government policy matter.
Read full response →
Department of Health and Social Care
11
Conclusion
Second Report - Assisted Dying/Assisted…
Deferred
Practice across the world where AD/AS is legal is varied in the respect of capacity assessments for AD/AS. We heard that any such assessment should be undertaken by professionals who have undertaken necessary training on capacity assessments, particularly in relation to vulnerable groups.
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Practice across the world where AD/AS is legal is varied in the respect of capacity assessments for AD/AS. We heard that any such assessment should be undertaken by professionals who have undertaken necessary training on capacity assessments, particularly in relation to vulnerable groups.
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Government response AI summary
The government redirects responsibility for any change to the law regarding Assisted Dying/Assisted Suicide to Parliament, stating it is a matter of conscience for individual parliamentarians rather than a government policy matter.
Read full response →
Department of Health and Social Care
12
Conclusion
Second Report - Assisted Dying/Assisted…
Deferred
Throughout our inquiry into AD/AS, the importance of safeguards and protections, and the question of whether they can be sufficient, has been a central feature, as has the related question of assessing capacity. Hearing from various representatives of healthcare professionals, as well as from healthcare professionals directly, it is clear …
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Throughout our inquiry into AD/AS, the importance of safeguards and protections, and the question of whether they can be sufficient, has been a central feature, as has the related question of assessing capacity. Hearing from various representatives of healthcare professionals, as well as from healthcare professionals directly, it is clear that there is hesitation around whether it is possible to accurately assess capacity, Assisted Dying/Assisted Suicide 97 and safeguard the person, in every case. On the other hand, some people we have heard from argue that there is a similar risk under the current law in assessing capacity and safeguarding people who opt to cease treatment, or to accept end-of- life care, including palliative sedation. (Paragraph 211) Palliative and End of Life Care
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Government response AI summary
The government redirects responsibility for any change to the law regarding Assisted Dying/Assisted Suicide to Parliament, stating it is a matter of conscience for individual parliamentarians rather than a government policy matter.
Read full response →
Department of Health and Social Care