Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 12
12
Deferred
Healthcare professionals express clear hesitation regarding accurately assessing capacity and safeguarding in all cases.
Conclusion
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
Government Response 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.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
The long-held position of successive UK governments is that any change to the law of England and Wales in this area is a matter for Parliament and an issue of conscience for individual parliamentarians rather than one for government policy. It would be for the UK Parliament to develop a specific proposal on AD/AS reform, not the Government, because this is a matter of conscience.