Mental health trust still ‘requires improvement’
Regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC) visited acute wards for adults and psychiatric intensive care units at the Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
How assisted dying laws across the UK could change
Jennifer Clarke
A bill which could legalise assisted dying in England and Wales will return to the House of Commons on 13 June. MPs will have the opportunity to consider further changes to the proposals..
In Scotland, a separate assisted dying bill has received the initial backing of MSPs and will now be looked at in more detail.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was introduced by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater..
It proposes letting terminally ill people end their life if they:
- are over 18, live in England or Wales, and have been registered with a GP for at least 12 months
- have the mental capacity to make the choice and be deemed to have expressed a clear, settled and informed wish, free from coercion or pressure
- be expected to die within six months
- make two separate declarations, witnessed and signed, about their wish to die
- satisfy two independent doctors that they are eligible - with at least seven days between each assessment
Once an application has been approved, the patient would have to wait 14 days before proceeding..
A doctor would prepare the substance being used to end the patient’s life, but the person would take it themselves.
“training, qualifications and experience” The bill defines the co-ordinating doctor as a registered medical practitioner with at a level to be specified by the health secretary.
It does not say which drug would be used.
It would be illegal to coerce someone into declaring they want to end their life, with a possible 14-year prison sentence.
In November 2024, MPs voted to back the Leadbeater bill by 330 to 275, a majority of 55.
Since the November vote, a committee of 23 MPs - including 14 supporters and nine opponents - has gone through the proposed legislation line by line..
It held public hearings and took evidence from experts.
Under the original proposals, a High Court judge would have had to approve each request to end a life.
However, the committee accepted Leadbeater’s suggestion that a three-person panel comprising a senior legal figure, a psychiatrist and a social worker should oversee applications instead.
Other changes include:
- doubling the maximum time between the bill being passed and the law coming into effect from two years to four, to allow training and finalising new systems
- clarifying that doctors must set out palliative care options during initial discussions
- specifying the law wouldn’t come into effect in Wales without Senedd approval
- all health workers will be able to opt out of the assisted dying process
On 13 June, MPs will have the chance to propose and vote on further changes.
However, they probably won’t vote on whether to pass or reject the entire billThat could now happen on 20 June. If MPs vote in favour of the bill at that point, it would move on to the House of Lords.
The assisted dying bill being considered in the Scottish Parliament says that eligible applicants would have to:
- be resident in Scotland for at least 12 months
- be registered with a GP in Scotland
- be terminally ill
- have the mental capacity to make the request
Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur, who drafted the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, said he will raise the proposed minimum age from 16 to 18.
“stage one vote” On 13 May, MSPs backed the on the bill’s general principles by 70 votes to 56, with one abstention.
It was a free vote, which means MSPs could vote as they wish.
MSPs can now propose major amendments, ahead of a vote on the final draftThat process is expected to take several months, but needs to be completed before the next Holyrood elections in May 2026.
Paralympian and House of Lords crossbencher Baroness Grey-Thompson is a vocal critic. She is worried that disabled and other vulnerable people could be put under pressure to end their lives - and that doctors may struggle to make accurate six-month diagnoses.
“deep-seated problems in the UK’s broken and patchy palliative care system” Dr Gordon Macdonald, from campaign group Care Not Killing, said the bill ignores the wider .
“easier to access help to die than help to live” Talking about the Scottish bill, Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy - the first permanent wheelchair user to be elected to Holyrood - said it could become .
The British Medical Association, which represents doctors, and the Royal College of Nursing are neutral on the issue.
More than 1,000 GPs responded to a BBC questionnaire on attitudes to changing the law, with about 500 saying they were opposed, and about 400 in favour.
“have a horrible, harrowing death” Leadbeater argues that some people , however good their end-of-life care is.
“most detailed, robust proposals” The Dignity in Dying campaign group said her bill provides the on the issue that “Westminster has ever considered”.
“up to 650 terminally ill people end their own lives, often in lonely and traumatic ways,” Chief executive Sarah Wootton said that the fact that every year proves the need for reform.
The Isle of Man and Jersey are both part of the British Isles but are able to set their own laws.
The Isle of Man passed its Assisted Dying Bill in March, and the new system could be in place by 2027.
“unbearable suffering” Jersey’s politicians approved plans to allow assisted dying for those facing in May 2024.
The final legislation is being writtenIf approved, new rules could take effect from summer 2027.
There is some debate over exactly what the terms mean..
However, assisted dying generally refers to a person who is terminally ill receiving lethal drugs from a medical practitioner, which they administer themselves.
Assisted ******* is intentionally helping another person to end their life, including someone who is not terminally ill.
That could involve providing lethal medication or helping them travel to another jurisdiction to die.
Euthanasia is the act of deliberately ending a person’s life to relieve suffering in which a lethal drug is administered by a physicianPatients may not be terminally ill..
There are two types: voluntary euthanasia, where a patient consents; and non-voluntary, where they cannot because, for example, they are in a coma.
The Dignity in Dying campaign group says more than 200 million people around the world have legal access to some form of assisted dying.
Switzerland has allowed assisted ******* since 1942..
Its Dignitas facility accepts foreign patients as well as Swiss nationals, and between 1998 and 2023 it helped 571 Britons to die.
Assisted ******* is also legal in Austria.
“physician-assisted dying” In the US, 10 states allow where doctors can prescribe lethal drugs for self-administration.
“medical assistance in dying” In Canada, voluntary euthanasia or can be provided by a doctor or nurse practitioner, either in person or through the prescription of drugs for self-administration.
Voluntary euthanasia and assisted ******* are also legal in Spain and Colombia.
Assisted dying is legal in some parts of Australia - though the law differs across states - and in New Zealand.
The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg let people who are not terminally ill receive assistance to die.
In May 2025, MPs in France backed a bill which would give some people in the last stages of a terminal illness the right to assisted dying.
Subject to parliamentary approval, supporters hope it will become law by 2027.
📚 Related Resources & Recommended Products
📚 Related Resources & Products
🔗 Our Website: https://gnnnued.com
🛍️ Featured Products:
Featured Product: 10Ft Cat5E Green Utp Network,Ethernet Unshielded Patch Rj45
Premium quality professional product with excellent features and reliable performance. Designed for both professional and personal use with industry-standard quality assurance.
Key Features:
- Professional-grade quality and durability
- Easy to use with excellent results
- Suitable for both beginners and professionals
- Backed by quality guarantee
📺 Related Videos: Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more insights 💡 Need Help?: Contact our expert team for personalized solutions 🚀 Stay Updated: Follow us for the latest industry trends and products
