Jonathan Hinder MP: An Update on the Assisted Dying Bill
I am grateful to the hundreds of my constituents in Pendle and Clitheroe from whom I have received correspondence on assisted dying, on both sides of the debate. I voted in favour of the principle of assisted dying at the second reading of the Bill in November.
I am in politics to reduce human suffering and see people live happier, more fulfilling lives, and it is heart-breaking that many people end their life in such pain and suffering. I stated then that I did have doubts and concerns about this Bill, but that it was worthy of progression to committee stage, so that the Bill could be further scrutinised before further votes.
As the Bill has progressed through committee stage, my concerns have only deepened.
I am especially concerned that:
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- A doctor can raise the option of assisted dying unprompted. Indeed, an amendment to prevent this was explicitly rejected by the committee. The words of a doctor are extremely powerful, and I believe many people would interpret this as being advice that they should consider assisted dying. Such an unprompted suggestion or mention, no matter how well-intentioned, would be a form of unacceptable pressure on the patient.
- Private medical providers will be able to deliver assisted dying under these plans. While there is no detail about this in the Bill, and this has played little part in the public debate, I find the idea that helping people to end their lives could be a profit-making enterprise to be deeply disturbing, and plain wrong. This Bill would open the door to making a business out of death, and all the perverse incentives that would entail.
- The eligibility criteria is too broad. Medical practitioners have made clear that a diagnosis of six months left to live is extremely difficult to judge, and may result in those who could live on for many years feeling pressured to end their lives early. The option of assisted dying can be brought up with child patients under these plans, and there are insufficient safeguards to stop patients with mental health conditions from being considered eligible.
- We were told that the proposed safeguards were the strictest in the world, only for the approval of a High Court judge to be removed shortly after the second reading. To me, this is the most obvious indicator that this Bill has been rushed, and a lot more work needs to be done to make it practicable and safe.
There may be such a Bill in the future that I could support, but this is not it. I will vote against.
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- Jonathan