Care Not Killing is deeply concerned at Kim Leadbeater’s assisted dying legislation committee’s “ideological” rejection of additional safeguards aimed to protect vulnerable people.
Speaking outside Parliament, Dr Gordon Macdonald, Chief Executive of Care Not Killing, expressed his alarm and concern at the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill committee’s “ideological” rejection of additional safeguards including today’s vote to protect people with Downs Syndrome.
He commented: “Today’s vote against an amendment, which merely tried to give greater protection to those people with Downs Syndrome and mitigate the negative impact of the draft legislation, is chilling.
“Every amendment put forward to strengthen this draft legislation, including protecting those with diabetes, eating disorders such as anorexia and now Downs Syndrome, has been voted down. A reasonable person might well conclude that those rejecting these measured changes are doing so for ideological reasons. While the centre piece of the draft bill’s safeguards, as sold to MPs and members of the public alike, independent scrutiny of each application by a High Court Judge in a formal judicial hearing, with all the power that confers, has been ditched.
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“Day by day, the truth of this legislation becomes clearer. Safeguards are illusionary, doctors will be forced to talk to all their patients with a six-month prognosis about assisted dying even when they don’t think it’s appropriate and essential details are being left to regulation at some later stage, including the role of the medic at point of death and even what method of suicide will be legal.”
Dr Macdonald continued: “Changing the law to legalise assisted suicide would place huge pressure, real or perceived on terminally ill, disabled people and those suffering conditions to end their lives prematurely, especially given the dire state of palliative care and social care in the UK.
“We need to care for people who are suffering, not encourage them or provide them with a mechanism to end their lives. This is why we champion the extension high quality palliative and social care to all those who need it and better support for their families.”
