Assisted dying must not undermine good palliative care, say UK's top doctors as Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is laid

Labour MP Kim Leadbeater formally introduced the The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill to MPs today. MPs are expected to debate and vote on it on 29 November.

The precise detail of the proposed legislation is not yet public. Ms Leadbeater would like to see a “time frame” on the diagnosis of patients, and said there must be both medical and judicial safeguarding.

A vote in Westminster will apply only to England and Wales and not directly impact Northern Ireland.

Today also saw the UK's top doctors sign an open letter saying legalising assisted dying should not undermine good end-of-life care and that medics should be free to decide whether to take part in any new service.

DUP Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart said in a statement: “We will resolutely oppose any efforts to legislate for so-called assisted dying.

"This is a dangerous path, and we cannot support measures that could coerce the sick, the elderly, or those in pain to end their lives or view themselves as a burden. We believe in compassionate care, dignity, and respect for life until its natural end.

"It is even more important to protect those more vulnerable members of society who may look to assisted suicide as a way out. Assisted dying is also presented all too often as a simple and easy solution, and its introduction in any form will inevitably see the first demands to widen access regardless of any criteria put in place.”

However Green Party Councillor Barry McKee, from Bangor Co Down, welcomed the bill.

"I firmly believe that we need to change the law to bring Assisted Dying to these islands and I welcome the Choice at the End of Life Bill receiving its first reading at Parliament,” he said.

"We leave dying people to take matters into their own hands, with hundreds with a terminal illness estimated to take their own lives every year."

He concluded: "With bills passing through parliaments in Holyrood, Westminster and the Oireachtas the pressure will be on the Stormont Executive to ensure that residents in Northern Ireland aren’t the only ones left without autonomy and dignity in death."

Today also saw the the UK’s chief medical officers and their deputies for the four UK nations sign an open letter on the debate.

It was signed by England's chief medical officer, Professor Sir Chris Whitty; Professor Sir Michael McBride, CMO for Northern Ireland; Professor Sir Gregor Smith, CMO for Scotland; Professor Sir Frank Atherton, CMO for Wales and NHS England's national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis.

They said: "Whatever Parliament decides, we believe the medical profession will be unanimous on two things: that we must not undermine the provision of good end-of-life care for all, including the outstanding work done by palliative care clinicians; (and) that individual doctors and other healthcare workers should be able to exercise freedom of conscience as, for example, happens with abortion care currently."