MPs narrowly approved the controversial Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill following months of fraught debate – but health professionals said questions remain as to how it will actually be implemented and how the NHS will be able to afford it.
It is expected there will be both free and paid for options for people with fewer than six months to live to end their lives.
How they go about this is yet to be thrashed out.
Under Leadbeater’s proposals, however, the only option available in the UK will be for the patient to ingest a substance prescribed by a medical professional
In some US states where the practice is legal, such as New Jersey and Oregon, a cocktail of drugs is given to the patient to take, often consisting of barbiturates, sedatives and opioids.
Concern over NHS’s ability to cope
Health professionals have expressed concern over the extra burden the new laws will place on the NHS.
But last November, before the bill was put to a vote of MPs, he warned that the NHS would have to make cuts in order to deliver assisted dying as a service. He also said that it would create a “chilling” scenario where terminally ill patients could feel pressured into ending their lives to save the NHS money.
“Alongside ensuring that the requirements of any assisted dying legislation are properly resourced, both in terms of staff and funding, with comprehensive training and ongoing support, trusts will also want to see better access and support for end of life care.”
“International evidence shows that assisted dying services tend to be publicly funded and integrated into the health care system. Successfully achieving that in England and Wales, with health and care services under extraordinary pressure and hospices struggling with a lack of comprehensive funding, will be no mean feat.”
This implementation stage will also be used to establish the number of assisted deaths that will be provided by the NHS and private companies, as well as the cost of the procedure for individuals who choose to access it.
A poll for The i Paper in November showed public support for the legislationThe 149-page report expressed considerable uncertainty about the cost, but warned that it could cost the NHS tens of millions of pounds a year, including up to £2m in the first year for staff costs and up to £850,000 for staff training.
Each panel set up to decide whether assisted death should be approved would also likely cost around £2,000 to run, which it estimated could mean an annual cost of up to £3.6m.
Bill approved by a narrow margin
Some 314 MPs voted in favour of the legislation following four hours of emotional debate while 291 MPs voted against.
Opponents of the legislation, however, repeatedly raised that the bill had been “drastically weakened” across its 90 hours of scrutiny.
The chamber was packed for the historic vote. (Photo: House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA)“What could be more unjust than to lose your life because of poorly drafted legislation,” she told the packed Commons chamber.
Once it receives Royal Assent, the implementation stage could last up to four years. However, the Government has the power to bring it in sooner if the necessary systems are in place.
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Jersey’s parliament plans to debate a draft law on assisted dying later this year, with a possible start in summer 2027, following an 18-month implementation period if the law is approved.
Scottish MSPs also voted in May to support the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill, which now awaits further scrutiny and a final vote later this year. Legalising assisted dying in Northern Ireland requires approval from Stormont’s Assembly.
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