Brits demand action on assisted dying ban as 1 in 3 say 'bring a bill now'

19 January 2023 , 00:01

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The first-ever House of Commons inquiry into assisted dying closes on Friday (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The majority of the public want the Government to take action on the issue of assisted dying, a new poll has revealed.

The survey was taken as the first-ever House of Commons inquiry into assisted dying closes this Friday.

It found 36% of Brits want to see the Government put forward a bill to legalise assisted dying after the Health and Social Care Select Committee completes its inquiry.

Some 25% would like to see Parliament make time for a free vote on the issue.

While 22% think the Government should gather more evidence and 18% think the assisted dying debate should be explored through a citizens assembly.

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Sarah Wootton is the Chief Executive of Dignity in Dying (Internet Unknown)

Only 4% of respondents said they believe the inquiry should recommend that politicians oppose any assisted dying reform.

The poll also revealed public support for the voices of dying people being at the heart of the inquiry, with 74% believing terminally ill people are one of the most important groups to provide evidence.

Sarah Wootton, Chief Executive of Dignity in Dying, said: “The message from the public is clear: the Government must take action on assisted dying.

“Brits overwhelmingly agree that terminally ill people must be listened to; doing nothing in the face of the harm and injustice they face is simply not an option.

“The blanket ban on assisted dying represents a patient safety crisis, with terminally ill people forced to choose between suffering unbearably against their wishes or taking matters into their own hands, either alone behind closed doors or overseas at eye-watering expense.”

36% of Brits want to see the Government put forward a bill to legalise assisted dying (Stock photo) (Getty Images)

Under current laws, people in England and Wales can be jailed for up to 14 years for encouraging or assisting a suicide.

But around 50 Brits a year travel to Switzerland for an assisted death.

Brit James Catmur, 62, who has advanced multiple sclerosis, is planning to have an assisted death at a centre in Switzerland.

His decision comes after he watched his wife Helen struggle in the final stages of her battle with motor neurone disease in 2016.

Calling for the Committee to take note, he added: “I am fearful of my own death, and want to take some control, but I shouldn’t be forced to travel hundreds of miles and at huge expense to have the kind of death I want.”

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