Concerns raised within British government in advance of vote today on Assisted Suicide Bill
The British parliament is due to vote today (29th November) on the Assisted Suicide Bill, introduced by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater. However, there has been opposition to the measure including among senior cabinet members. Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, has become the most senior Cabinet member to come out in opposition to Kim Leadbeater MP’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. In addition, the Education Secretary, Bridget Philipson, has suggested she will vote against the Bill.
The Health Secretary ordered a review of the costs of implementing assisted suicide if Kim Leadbeater’s assisted suicide Bill is passed later this month, warning of a “chilling” scenario in which patients are pressured into ending their lives, and saying assisted suicide would “come at the expense of other choices”.
“I would hate for people to opt for assisted dying because they think they’re saving someone somewhere money, whether that’s relatives or the NHS. And I think that’s one of the issues that MPs are wrestling with as they decide how to cast their vote”, he said.
Speaking to reporters at the NHS Providers conference in Liverpool, when asked about Leadbeater’s Bill he said “Now that we’ve seen the bill published, I’ve asked my department to look at the costs that would be associated with providing a new service to enable assisted dying to go forward”.
“That work is now under way, so I can’t give you a precise figure today. You do touch on… the potential for cost savings if people choose to opt for assisted dying rather than stay in the care of providers or the NHS. I think that is a chilling slippery slope argument”.
Delivering assisted suicide would “come at the expense of other competing pressures and priorities”, he added.
