Cliff Notes – A thousand doctors write to MPs urging them to vote against assisted dying bill
- Over 1,000 doctors have expressed strong opposition to the assisted dying bill, warning it poses risks to patients and the medical workforce, and suggesting it exacerbates existing inequalities in healthcare access.
- The letter, signed by prominent medical professionals, highlights inadequate safeguards and concerns about patients being at risk of coercion, particularly among vulnerable groups.
- Concerns were raised regarding the reliability of medical prognosis, citing that doctors can be incorrect about life expectancy 40% of the time, potentially leading to premature decisions regarding assisted dying.
‘It’s simply not safe’: A thousand doctors write to MPs urging them to vote against assisted dying bill | UK News
More than 1,000 doctors have written to MPs urging them to vote against the assisted dying bill, calling it a “real threat to both patients and the medical workforce”.
The bill – which is due to be voted on by MPs for a final time on 20 June – would allow terminally ill patients from England and Wales to end their lives “on their own terms”, providing they have a life expectancy of six months or less.
A separate bill is currently passing through the Scottish parliament.
But doctors from across the NHS have written to MPs, warning them of their “serious concerns”.
Notable signatories include Sir John Burn, a geneticist who has led decades of cancer research, Sir Shakeel Qureshi, who was knighted for his work in paediatric cardiology, Professor Aileen Keel, the former deputy chief medical officer for Scotland, and Baroness Finlay, a Welsh doctor, professor of palliative medicine and member of the House of Lords.
The letter is signed by four doctors who hold OBEs, two who have MBEs, and one CBE.
The letter says that while a debate is needed on end of life care, “this bill is not the answer”.
It raises concerns that not enough evidence has been heard from doctors, people with disabilities and other marginalised groups.
“This bill will widen inequalities, it provides inadequate safeguards and, in our collective view, is simply not safe,” it goes on to say, calling it a “deeply flawed bill”.
