North Wales MS and Chair of the Senedd Cross-Party Groups on Hospice and Palliative Care, on Funerals and Bereavement, and on Disability, Mark Isherwood, yesterday called on the Senedd to reject the Legislative Consent Motion (LCM) for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, emphasising the risks to vulnerable people.
Speaking out against the motion, which would allow Westminster to legislate in devolved areas on assisted dying in Wales, Mr Isherwood emphasised the constitutional and moral implications of surrendering Welsh authority over vital matters of palliative and end-of-life care.
He stressed that just 16 months ago, the Senedd voted against supporting the principles of assisted dying, and against supporting the Westminster Parliament to introduce an assisted dying law in England and Wales, and warned that granting legislative consent before the final form of proposed law is known could set a dangerous precedent.
He added that although polling in Wales shows public support for assisted dying, support plummets when the terminology is explained and people understand what is actually being proposed.
He said:
“Salvation Army polling uncovered continuing concerns that vulnerable people are at greater risk of being pressured into applying to die, with 60 per cent saying older people are at greater risk, 54 per cent saying people with mental health issues, and 52 per cent that people with a learning disability are at greater risk.
“They add that the decision to seek assistance with suicide will not look the same for people experiencing poverty or other systematic disadvantage as it will for more privileged people.
“The Royal College of Psychiatrists reached a consensus that it could not support the Bill in its current form. The Association for Palliative Medicine of Great Britain and Ireland states:
'In matters of life and death, the threshold for safety must be unassailable. The current proposals fall demonstrably short of this standard, exposing vulnerable people to risks we cannot undo - all while the palliative care they deserve remains inequitable and often unavailable.'
“They also highlight research showing that doctors' assessments of which patients are likely to die within six or 12 months are correct less than 50 per cent of the time, and note that around half of people in other jurisdictions choose assisted dying because of feeling a burden on family and friends.”
Mr Isherwood said “More than 250 healthcare professionals across Wales wrote jointly calling on us to reject this LCM, stating, for example ‘The Bill’s definition of terminal illness fails to recognise the risks from mistaken diagnosis or misinformation. Accurate prognostication is impossible’. They emphasised ‘the inequity in provision of specialist palliative care and hospice beds’ ”.
He also expressed concern that once the principle is accepted, it is impossible to contain.
He said:
“As we heard, in Oregon, the understanding of ‘terminal illness’ has widened to include conditions such as anorexia or diabetes. In Canada, the law was extended to non-terminally-ill individuals, and, by 2027, it's due to widen further to include mental illness.
“Referring to assisted suicide provider Dignitas, Welsh Palliative Care Consultants told me that ‘there is no guarantee of a dignified death for anyone, even if that is the aim of whatever care the person receives’, and that there are many unknowns or potential issues with the Swiss system, as there is no publication of data.
“I will leave the last words to the constituent who told me that ‘the proposed legislation has inadequate safeguards to prevent coercion of vulnerable people, increases pressure on disabled people and is a retrograde step’."
