Welsh NHS will only help terminally ill end their life if Senedd agrees first
Welsh NHS will only help terminally ill end their life if Senedd agrees first
The Senedd will get a say in whether the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will include the Welsh NHS
Assisted dying bill protestors gather outside the House of Commons
(Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror )
The Welsh NHS will only will assist terminally ill people to die if the Senedd agrees to it, the Welsh Parliament has been told. Last week MPs in the House of Commons agreed to legalise an assisted dying bill for terminally ill people in England and Wales.
However, the Welsh Parliament has been told today - Wednesday, June 25 - that Senedd members will have a vote on whether assisted dying services will be available in the public sector via the Welsh NHS.
As healthcare is devolved in Wales, questions have arisen as to how the new law will work here. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here
The Senedd will get a say on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in Wales
(Image: Senedd Cymru )
In October 2024, the Senedd voted against a law allowing assisted dying to be introduced in Wales.
But, last week, a suggestion of allowing the Senedd to have a veto over all the important parts of the law was taken out by MPs.
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Today, Counsel General Julie James was asked by MS Tom Giffard whether the Senedd will have a say in the decision regarding the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.
He asked: "Can you outline what discussions you have had with the UK Government to stand up for the voice of this Senedd, to ensure that we do have a say?
"And do you have an assurance from the UK Government that, if this LCM in this Senedd produces a different outcome to the vote in Parliament, our decision will be respected by the UK Government?"
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Ms James, the Welsh Government's most senior legal adviser, confirmed: "Just to reassure the member, and, indeed, all Members of the Senedd, the Bill still contains the key provisions that mean that the NHS or any public body in Wales will not be able to provide voluntary assisted dying services until regulations have been laid by Ministers and there has been an affirmative vote in the Senedd to that effect."
A vote is expected to take place in the Senedd this autumn regarding the bill and whether it agrees to the legislation applying in areas controlled by the Senedd.
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