Kim Leadbeater said she had heard arguments to strengthen end of life care in her assisted dying bill amid concerns from MPs and campaigners about unequal access to palliative care
Palliative care must be strengthened as part of a law to legalise assisted dying, the Labour MP behind the bill has said.
Kim Leadbeater said she had accepted arguments to do more to focus on end of life care in her bill to ease concerns from MPs and campaigners. She will urged MPs to support an amendment by Lib Dem MP Munira Wilson to put a stronger focus on palliative care in the bill, which returns to the Commons on Friday for further scrutiny.
The amendment would ensure that “an assessment of the availability, quality and distribution of appropriate health services to persons with palliative and end of life care needs” is made at the earliest opportunity.
Ms Leadbeater hopes the move will ease fears that vulnerable patients without access to good quality palliative care could feel pressure to end their lives.
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It comes as the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill returns to Parliament on Friday, after months of detailed scrutiny over the creation of a state-run assisted dying service. A crunch vote on whether it becomes law is expected in mid June.
The bill would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death, subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist.
Ms Leadbeater said: “I agree with [charity] Marie Curie that everything possible should be done to strengthen and extend the provision of palliative care services.
“I was happy to confirm in our meeting that I am fully committed to a holistic approach to end of life care and choice and that I am determined that if the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill passes, it should be accompanied by improvements to palliative care in England and Wales, as has been the experience in other jurisdictions where assisted dying is already available as an option.”
She said palliative care did not need to be in competition with assisted dying. She added: “While I cannot pre-empt the decision of the Speaker about which amendments to select for debate, I would encourage colleagues in parliament to support this amendment, if and when it is put to a vote.”
Lib Dem MP Ms Wilson said: “Whatever side of the assisted dying debate people are on, hopefully we can all agree that we need to improve palliative care.
“You can’t have choice at the end of life dependent on where you live. If palliative care provision continues to be patchy and unequal then there is no choice.”
MPs voted by 330 to 275 in favour of legalising assisted dying in November. However, staunch opposition remains as the legislation passes through its Commons stages.
Opposition campaigners are concerned that vulnerable people could be coerced or feel pressured into ending their lives. Critics have also raised fears it could divert focus from the stretched palliative care system.
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