In a great victory for campaigners, an assisted dying bill has been introduced by Dr Alex Allinson in the Isle of Man today. Members of the island’s parliament voted 22 to 2 for the Bill to be introduced. We have supported our friends “Let Me Choose”, a grassroots organisation in the Isle of Man who have been pushing for a compassionate assisted dying law. We have partnered with Let Me Choose through the assisted dying coalition.

The Bill would allow terminally ill, mentally competent adults the choice of an assisted death. A Citizen’s Jury in Jersey voted for a broader bill that would include the incurably and intolerably suffering. In December 2021, Jersey’s States Assembly voted to support assisted dying ‘in principle’.

A public consultation in the Isle of Man is expected to be held over the summer and a draft bill should be available by the end of the year. This will then be reviewed by a committee of the Tynwald (Isle of Man’s parliament).

Trevor Moore, Chair of My Death, My Decision, said:

“With Jersey, Isle of Man and Scotland having now taken significant steps on the road to an assisted dying law in their jurisdictions, Parliament at Westminster is lagging woefully behind. We know that public opinion is overwhelmingly in favour of a compassionate law for England and Wales, which is why we continue to call for an inquiry. That way, politicians can hear and scrutinise the evidence brought forward from all sides of the debate.

Our current laws are broken, protracting the suffering of the terminally ill and those with painful and incurable conditions. We call upon Parliament to do the right thing and give people the choice to end their intolerable suffering when they decide.”

Notes:

For any more information or comment please contact My Death, My Decision at: campaigns@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk.

Read more about My Death, My Decision’s campaign for an inclusive change in the law: https://www.mydeath-mydecision.org.uk/

My Death, My Decision is a grassroots non-profit organisation that campaigns for a balanced and compassionate approach to assisted dying in England and Wales. As a growing movement, we are at the forefront of social change: nearly 90% of the public now favours a change in the law to allow adults of sound mind, who are either terminally ill or facing incurable suffering, the option of a peaceful, painless, and dignified death.

Baroness Meacher’s Assisted Dying Bill has failed. This leaves the frustrating prospect of no debates, votes or upcoming legislation in parliament on assisted dying. A recent ONS study revealed that serious health conditions more than double the suicide rate, further showing the need for a compassionate, safeguarded assisted dying law.

The assisted dying bill in the House of Lords has fallen because the Government would not allow parliamentary time to debate it. The bill received over 200 amendments at the Committee Stage, and as it will not be included in the next parliamentary session the bill automatically falls. My Death, My Decision, along with Humanist UK, submitted an amendment calling for the creation of an inquiry into the impact of this proposed assisted dying legislation for people who are of sound mind and not terminally ill but suffering intolerably with an irreversible physical condition.

The Government claims to take a neutral position on assisted dying, but simultaneously refuses to give enough time for this important issue to be debated and voted on. This is a de-facto opposition to assisted dying and keeps our broken law in place.

An assisted dying inquiry would equip parliamentarians with the necessary knowledge to conduct an informed debate and vote on this important issue. The clear majority of the public wants a compassionate assisted dying law and for the government to respect their autonomy.

Trevor Moore, Chair of My Death, My Decision, said:

“The failure of the Meacher Bill is a reflection of the government’s refusal to engage with the critical social justice issue of assisted dying. If the government will not introduce legislation in Parliament, we call upon it instead to establish a parliamentary inquiry and implement its recommendations. That way, it can remain neutral.

An inquiry would enable expert evidence to be heard from other countries that have assisted dying, providing also the opportunity to test the often alarmist claims of opponents. With multiple jurisdictions now considering or about to implement an assisted dying law, England and Wales is being left behind. This needs to be remedied without delay, because inaction protracts unnecessary suffering.”

Notes:

For any more information or comment please contact My Death, My Decision at: campaigns@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk.

Read more about My Death, My Decision’s campaign for an inclusive change in the law: https://www.mydeath-mydecision.org.uk/

My Death, My Decision is a grassroots non-profit organisation that campaigns for a balanced and compassionate approach to assisted dying in England and Wales. As a growing movement, we are at the forefront of social change: nearly 90% of the public now favours a change in the law to allow adults of sound mind, who are either terminally ill or facing incurable suffering, the option of a peaceful, painless, and dignified death.

My Death, My Decision’s Clinical Advisory Group is pleased to welcome new co-chair, Graham Winyard CBE, who will lead the group alongside its founder, Colin Brewer.

Graham Winyard CBE:

Graham Winyard retired in 2007 from a career in medical management and public health that included 6 years as Medical Director of the NHS. His interest in assisted dying followed the death of his first wife, Sandy, from cancer aged 51. He became a founding member of Healthcare Professionals for Assisted Dying and was a member of the Board of Dignity in Dying for three years. In retirement he served for 10 years as lay treasurer of Chithurst Buddhist Monastery, and completed a Masters in Religions at SOAS. He has lived in Winchester, where his three children went to school, since 1990, and is happily re-married to Jill, enjoying being an active Granddad and stepfather. In recent years he became a Home-Start volunteer and local trustee, and mentors disadvantaged pupils at a local sixth form college, who aspire to read medicine at Oxbridge.

Commenting on the importance of the Clinical Advisory Group, Graham says:

“I see the role of the Clinical Advisory Group as ensuring that MDMD’s campaigns are medically credible and sensitive to the range of reasons for medical reluctance around assisted dying.  A key aim should be to highlight the crucial differences between MDMD’s approach to assisted dying and that proposed in recent unsuccessful assisted dying Bills, and the consequences to patients of such over-restrictive approaches.”

About the Medical Group

The Clinical Advisory Group was founded as a subgroup within My Death, My Decision to advise on clinical matters and to represent medics who support assisted dying reform. Membership is free and open to any professional with relevant clinical or academic experience, whether you are practising, studying or retired.

If you would like to join the Clinical Advisory Group, please complete this form on our website. If you would like to discuss the aims of the Clinical Advisory Group please then contact Colin Brewer at colin.brewer@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk.