UK passes assisted dying bill for terminally ill patients in England and Wales

The UK has announced the passing of the Assisted Dying Bill after a parliamentary vote, giving terminally ill patients in England and Wales the right to choose a medically assisted death under strict conditions.

“We have a system where it is legal to starve yourself to death, which can take days or weeks, but it is not legal to seek assistance from a doctor, to take an approved substance yourself, to end your pain or suffering and take back control in your dying days,” said Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who presented the bill in the House of Commons. “It simply does not make sense."

The bill, backed by Labour leader Keir Starmer, passed with a majority of 23 votes and is now headed to the House of Lords.

Under the new law, patients must be of sound mind and have a terminal illness with a prognosis of less than six months. Approval must come from two doctors and a panel made up of a psychiatrist, a social worker, and a senior lawyer. Patients must self-administer the life-ending medication, and coercion by family members will lead to criminal penalties.

Several MPs, including Diane Abbott and James Cleverly, argued that the safeguards were not strong enough and warned against a shift in the role of the state in decisions over life and death.

Meanwhile, in Malta, a national consultation was launched in May regarding introducing assisted dying.

The proposed Maltese framework would apply only to mentally competent adults suffering from a terminal illness expected to cause death within six months. It excludes individuals with disabilities, mental health conditions, age-related diseases like dementia, or those experiencing loneliness in care homes.

The request must come directly from the patient, who must be over 18 and have lived in Malta for at least 12 months. Doctors would be forbidden from raising the option themselves.

The consultation also proposes the introduction of “living wills” in the MyHealth system, allowing individuals to state their treatment preferences in case of future medical emergencies or unconsciousness. These declarations could be revised at any time by the patient.

Parliamentary Secretary Rebecca Buttigieg described the consultation as a “serious framework” developed by a technical committee made up of medical and legal experts, based on models from countries where assisted dying is already legal.

Buttigieg also made it clear that age, disability or mental health conditions would not be valid reasons to access the process. On whether conditions like neurodegenerative diseases should allow for a longer timeline, she said the government is open to hearing all views during the consultation phase.

Last week, a new platform advocating for the introduction of voluntary assisted euthanasia was launched.

Among those who oppose the proposal locally are the Maltese and Gozitan churches and the Life Network Foundation.