Latest news with #terminallyill
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Cabinet minister breaks ranks to condemn assisted dying legislation - warning chaotic process means it hasn't been properly scrutinised
A senior Cabinet minister has warned that assisted dying laws are being rushed through Parliament with too little time for proper scrutiny. Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary, said there was a 'curtailed' debate in the House of Commons over what would be 'such wide societal change'. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill aims to allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales - with less than six months to live - to legally end their lives. MPs continued their scrutiny of the legislation - a private members' bill being spearheaded by Labour 's Kim Leadbeater - earlier this month during an almost five-hour debate in the Commons. This saw critics claim the Bill does not include enough protections and was being hurried through Parliament. Ms Mahmood, an opponent of the legislation, has now added her voice to those criticisms ahead of a planned further debate on the Bill next month. This is despite Cabinet ministers having previously been warned to steer clear of public debate on the issue, as the Government attempts to maintain a neutral stance. The Justice Secretary said the process had 'shown the inadequacies' of using a private members' bill to bring forward assisted dying laws. 'My views [on assisted dying] are well known,' Ms Mahmood said when speaking to The Times last week. 'They haven't changed between second reading and the debate we had last Friday and what will happen when we get to third reading. 'I do think that this process has shown the inadequacies of private members' bills as a vehicle for such wide societal change. 'I know they have worked in the past. I can see why campaigning backbench MPs will think, 'If we were able to do this for abortion for example a few decades ago we can use the same mechanism now'. 'But there are huge implications here and the debate that we're having is curtailed, it is short. We saw that last Friday. I don't think it's the right thing to do.' Last year, Labour peer Charlie Falconer sparked fury by claiming ministers should not 'impose' their religious beliefs on others over assisted dying. He hit out after Ms Mahmood, the first Muslim to become Lord Chancellor, said she would vote against Ms Leadbeater's Bill ahead of its first reading in the Commons in November. Lord Falconer said there were 'religious and spiritual reasons' for Ms Mahmood's opposition to the Bill. But his intervention prompted an angry backlash among Ms Mahmood's fellow MPs, as well as from religious leaders. The Bill's current stage – known as report stage – will continue on June 13, when further debate will take place in the Commons. If time allows on that day it is possible a third reading could take place, giving MPs another vote to either approve or reject the overall Bill and decide whether to send it on to the House of Lords.
The Sun
22-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Terminally ill dad recording stories for his kids to listen to once he's gone
A TERMINALLY ill dad given months to live is recording bedtime stories for his children to listen to once he is gone. Lee Rawlinson, 51, was given the diagnosis of untreatable pancreatic cancer in October. He has spent the time since making memories with wife Faye and their daughter Darcey, ten, and son Marley, seven. He is now working with charities Stories For Life and Havens Hospices to continue that even after he has died. Stories for Life supports the hospice, who provide specialist support and care for the families of those living with incurable conditions, in offering the opportunity to record messages and stories for loved ones - preserving their voices for when they're no longer here. Mr Rawlinson has recorded several stories for his children, including his animated rendition of The Wonky Donkey - a family favourite designed to make Darcey and Marley smile and laugh. Ex-medical rep Lee, of Leigh on Sea, Essex, said: 'I always read to the children before bed. "Now, they'll always be able to hear that in my voice. 'It's reassuring for me knowing it will be a comfort for my children, even though there may be tears. "If Marley thinks Daddy's in the clouds and he can still hear my voice — that's amazing.' 1 Terminally ill dad, Lee Rawlinson, given months to live is recording bedtime stories for his children to listen to once he is gone Credit: SWNS 'I fear leaving my children,' says heartbroken dad facing last Christmas after ignoring stomach ache
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Delaware's assisted suicide bill signed into law, making it the 11th state with such a statute
Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer, a Democrat, signed a bill Tuesday legalizing physician-assisted suicide for certain terminally ill patients, arguing that the measure is about "compassion, dignity, and respect for personal choice." The End-of-Life Options Act, which takes effect next year, allows mentally capable adults who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and given six months or less to live to request a prescription to self-administer and end their lives. "We're acknowledging today that even in the last moments of life, compassion matters," Meyer said at the bill signing. "Every Delawarean should have the right to face their final chapter with peace, dignity and control." New York Assembly Passes Bill To Legalize Assisted Suicide For The Terminally Ill "This signing today is about relieving suffering and giving families the comfort of knowing that their loved one was able to pass on their own terms, without unnecessary pain, and surrounded by the people they love most," he continued. Delaware is now the 11th state to allow medical aid in dying, joining California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. Washington, D.C., also permits physician-assisted suicide. Read On The Fox News App "Today, Delaware joins a growing number of states in recognizing that end-of-life decisions belong to patients—not politicians," Meyer said. "This law is about compassion, dignity, and respect. It gives people facing unimaginable suffering the ability to choose peace and comfort, surrounded by those they love. After years of debate, I am proud to sign HB 140 into law." Several other countries, including Canada, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands, have also legalized so-called death with dignity. The Delaware Legislature narrowly rejected the measure last year, but Meyer pushed for it this session and it passed last month. The governor's signature now ends nearly a decade of debate on the issue. Under the new law, sponsored by Democrat state Rep. Eric Morrison, patients considering assisted suicide in the state must be presented with other options for end-of-life care, including comfort care, palliative care, hospice and pain control. The bill requires two waiting periods and a second medical opinion on a patient's prognoses before they can obtain a prescription for lethal medication. Minnesota Lawmakers Propose Controversial Medically-assisted Suicide Bill State Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, a Democrat, said the law "is about honoring the autonomy and humanity of those facing unimaginable suffering from terminal illness." "This legislation exists due to the courage of patients, family members, and advocates who have shared deeply personal stories of love, loss and suffering," he said in a article source: Delaware's assisted suicide bill signed into law, making it the 11th state with such a statute
The Independent
16-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
All you need to know as the assisted dying Bill returned to Parliament
The assisted dying Bill was back in the House of Commons on Friday, where MPs once again debated the controversial issue. Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the Bill and how the process might work. – What is in the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill? The proposed legislation would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death. This would be subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist. The terminally ill person would take an approved substance, provided by a doctor but administered only by the person themselves. – When would assisted dying be available if the Bill became law? The implementation period has been doubled to a maximum of four years from royal assent, rather than the initially suggested two years. If the Bill was to pass later this year that would mean it might not be until 2029, potentially coinciding with the end of this Government's parliament, that assisted dying was being offered. Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who is the parliamentarian behind the Bill and put forward the extended timeframe, has insisted it is 'a backstop' rather than a target, as she pledged to 'hold the Government's feet to the fire' on implementing legislation should the Bill pass. The extended implementation period was one of a number of changes made since the Bill was first introduced to the Commons back in October. – What other changes have there been? The High Court safeguard has been dropped and replaced by expert panels – a change much-criticised by opponents who said it weakened the Bill, but something Ms Leadbeater has argued strengthens it. At the end of a weeks-long committee process earlier this year to amend the Bill, Ms Leadbeater said rather than removing judges from the process, 'we are adding the expertise and experience of psychiatrists and social workers to provide extra protections in the areas of assessing mental capacity and detecting coercion while retaining judicial oversight'. Changes were also made to ensure the establishment of independent advocates to support people with learning disabilities, autism or mental health conditions and to set up a disability advisory board to advise on legal implementation and impact on disabled people. – Do we know much more about the potential impact of such a service coming in? A Government impact assessment published earlier this month, estimated that between 164 and 647 assisted deaths could potentially take place in the first year of the service, rising to between 1,042 and 4,559 in year 10. The establishment of a Voluntary Assisted Dying Commissioner and three-member expert panels would cost an estimated average of between £10.9 million to £13.6 million per year, the document said. It had 'not been possible' to estimate the overall implementation costs at this stage of the process, it added. While noting that cutting end-of-life care costs 'is not stated as an objective of the policy', the assessment estimated that such costs could be reduced by as much as an estimated £10 million in the first year and almost £60 million after 10 years. – Do healthcare staff have to take part in assisted dying? It was already the case that doctors would not have to take part, but MPs voted to insert a new clause into the Bill on Friday extending that to anyone. The wording means 'no person', including social care workers and pharmacists, is obliged to take part in assisted dying and can now opt out. Amendments to the Bill were debated on care homes and hospices also being able to opt out but these were not voted on in Friday's debate. Ms Leadbeater has previously said there is nothing in the Bill to say they have to, nor is there anything to say they do not have to, adding on the Parliament Matters podcast that this is 'the best position to be in' and that nobody should be 'dictating to hospices what they do and don't do around assisted dying'. – What is happening next? The Bill is still at report stage – where MPs debate and vote on various amendments. Friday May 16th's debate was almost five hours long. The Bill will return for further debate at report stage on June 13. It is not yet clear if a Third Reading vote – where MPs vote yes or no and decide whether to send the Bill on to the House of Lords – will take place on that day or another date. – What about assisted dying in the rest of the British Isles? The Isle of Man looks likely to become the first part of the British Isles to legalise assisted dying, after its proposed legislation passed through a final vote of the parliament's upper chamber in March. In what was hailed a 'landmark moment', members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) on Tuesday voted in favour of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, backing its general principles. It will now go forward for further scrutiny and amendments but will only become law if MSPs approve it in a final vote, which should take place later this year. Any move to legalise assisted dying in Northern Ireland would have to be passed by politicians in the devolved Assembly at Stormont. Jersey's parliament is expected to debate a draft law for an assisted dying service on the island for terminally ill people later this year. With a likely 18-month implementation period if a law is approved, the earliest it could come into effect would be summer 2027.
The Independent
16-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
MPs must act to legalise assisted dying, Leadbeater urges as debate begins
Assisted dying must be legalised to avoid terminally ill people acting out of desperation or making 'traumatic' trips to Switzerland, the MP behind a Bill to change the law has told Parliament. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is back before the Commons on Friday for the first time since a historic yes vote in November saw a majority of MPs support the principle of assisted dying. Since then the proposed legislation has undergone significant changes, after a weeks-long committee process which saw a High Court judge safeguard replaced with a three-member expert panel and the timeframe in which an assisted dying service might come into effect doubled to four years from royal assent. Opponents have argued the Bill does not have enough safeguards and has been rushed through, with two royal medical colleges voicing their doubts on the legislation in its current form. But others, including Dame Esther Rantzen, have appealed for MPs to keep backing the Bill. The 84-year-old, who has stage four cancer, has said: 'Please vote for this crucial reform, as so many other countries have, not for me and for those like me who are running rapidly out of time, but for future generations to have the right if necessary, not to shorten their lives, to shorten their deaths.' As Friday's session – which could last for up to five hours – opened, Kim Leadbeater told those gathered in the Commons: 'Put simply, if we do not vote to change the law, we are essentially saying that the status quo is acceptable. 'Over recent months, I have heard hundreds of stories from people who have lost loved ones in deeply difficult and traumatic circumstances, which show that that is clearly not the case. 'Too many have seen their terminally ill loved ones take their own lives out of desperation, or make the traumatic, lonely and costly trip to Switzerland, and then face a police investigation while dealing with their grief and loss.' The Bill being considered by Parliament would apply only in England and Wales. In its current form it would mean terminally ill adults with only six months left to live could apply for assistance to end their lives, with approval needed from two doctors and the expert panel. It is possible this part of the parliamentary process, known as the report stage, will run into a second day next month, meaning a vote on approval or rejection of the overall Bill would not take place on Friday. The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) this week said it believes there are 'concerning deficiencies' with the proposed legislation as it stands while the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) said it has 'serious concerns' and cannot support the current Bill. RCPsych warned of a shortage of consultant psychiatrists to meet the demands of a Bill which would currently require a psychiatrist to sit on the panel to assess a terminally ill person's application. The RCPsych statement was this week branded by one opponent of the Bill as a 'blow to its foundations' but pressed on the issue in Parliament, Ms Leadbeater said she does not have concerns on staffing. She said: 'If we refer to the impact assessment, the numbers of people who access assisted dying in the first few years will be very small. 'I think there are around 4,500 psychiatrists in the country, but there's also a period of time again to do the training that's required for those psychiatrists who will be taking part in the process over a number of years, so I wouldn't anticipate any problems there.' Amid questions around the process by which the Bill has progressed through Parliament, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer – who is on a trip to Albania and so is not at the debate – has indicated he remains supportive of the proposed legislation. The PM voted for the Bill last year and, in comments to reporters this week, said it was facing 'a lot of scrutiny', adding that he was 'satisfied' it had 'sufficient time' in Parliament. The Government is neutral on the Bill and any votes MPs make are according to their own conscience rather than along party lines. Paralympian Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, who would have a vote on the Bill should it make its way to the Lords, argued ahead of the debate that the Bill has 'not been made safer', criticising the scrapping of the much-lauded High Court safeguard in favour of expert panels. But in a boost, new Reform MP Sarah Pochin has confirmed she will support it. Mike Amesbury, whom she replaced in the Runcorn and Helsby constituency earlier this month, had voted no last year. Amendments being debated on Friday include ensuring there is no obligation on anyone, such as medical staff, to take part in the assisted dying process. Demonstrators from both sides of the argument gathered outside Parliament ahead of the debate on Friday. While pro-change campaign group Dignity in Dying said Friday is a 'milestone in the journey towards a more compassionate and safeguarded law', the Christian Action Research and Education group, which is against the Bill, urged MPs to instead focus on end of life care.
