Lord Empey: I'm opposed to assisted dying on religious grounds but regardless, this bill is a bad piece of legislation

The contentious issue of assisted dying is being voted on in the House of Commons today. Should the bill pass its second reading, it will complete its remaining stages in the new year. If this happens, it will move to the Lords later next year.

As a member of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, I subscribe to that church's teaching on assisted dying and am opposed to this bill. But as a legislator, one has to take into account the views of those in society who do not share such beliefs.

However, from whatever perspective one comes from, this is still a bad piece of legislation.

Nobody wants to see patients suffering, but this bill in my view could add to the suffering of many patients. This is because enormous pressures will be released if it becomes law in England and Wales. Already patients are routinely asked if they want a “Do not resuscitate” instruction. Many advocates of the assisted dying legislation don't seem to understand how this will be implemented in already overstretched hospitals. It will become part of the bureaucracy, another box to tick. Some staff will boycott the process, others will plough on.

Imagine the discussions amongst the hospital or trust management team. The finance director may be under huge budgetary pressure, and, let's be honest, having a sick patient requiring long and complex treatment is expensive. This bill allows medical professionals to offer assisted dying as an option to patients. Thus, for the first time in NHS history, an option to assist a patient to kill themselves instead of trying to cure them, is on the menu. This radically changes the relationship between the medical profession and patients.

Since this bill emerged, I have seen those with severe disabilities exhibiting real fear and anxiety. I am talking about colleagues in parliament. They feel that, as potentially the most vulnerable patients, they will be regarded as expendable, as too expensive to treat. These fears cannot be lightly cast aside as part of some “progressive agenda”.

Looking outside the UK, the Netherlands had over 9,000 assisted suicides in 2023. With a population of 18 million, the UK equivalent would be 33,000, and if NI had a similar law, we would see in excess of 900! There simply is not enough judges in the family division to handle all this, and while two doctors would be involved, inevitably “guns for hire” will emerge.

Over 30% of patients who are expected to die within six months live longer, yet six months is the measure to kick-start the process. I know from personal experience that doctors cannot determine accurately how long a patient lives.

In every jurisdiction where there is assisted dying, the boundaries have been extended. Sometimes couples can decide to end their lives simultaneously, also young people with depression. Those with eating disorders may be saved if the circumstances permit.

While everyone participating in this debate wants to do the right thing, I am satisfied that, whatever my own view opposing this on religious grounds, this is a bad piece of legislation. It's not thought through, no impact assessment has been carried out, and we have a new House of Commons where the vast majority of MPs have less than six months’ experience.

Let us put our resources into improving palliative care and supporting our hospices properly. Let us remove the fear and anxiety from our most vulnerable patients and protect them from the pressure and guilt they must feel should they choose to seek life over death.

Lord Empey, former UUP leader