Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said a new Bill that would make assisted dying legal could have a knock-on effect in other parts of the NHS
Wes Streeting said he has ordered a review into the cost of assisted dying if it becomes law.
The Health Secretary warned the controversial policy would have a knock-on effect across the health service. Mr Streeting, who has said he will vote against a new Bill that would make assisted dying legal, said he’d ordered Department for Health officials to report back on costs.
He told reporters: “Now that we’ve seen the Bill published, I’ve asked my department to look at the costs that would be associated with providing a new service to enable assisted dying to go forward, because I’m very clear that regardless of my own personal position or my own vote, my department and the whole government will respect the will of Parliament if people vote for assisted dying.
“That work is now under way, so I can’t give you a precise figure today.” The Health Secretary earlier warned: “There would be resource implications for doing it. And those choices would come at the expense of other choices.”
He revealed that medics who have moral objections would not be forced to do any work helping patients end their lives. Mr Streeting said: “No one should be compelled, for example, to take part in assisted dying if they’ve got moral or ethical objections as clinicians.
“That certainly would be one of my red lines.” MPs will get their first chance to vote on the Bill, put forward by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, on November 29.
If it clears that hurdle it will be scrutinised in the Commons and the House of Lords. No10 refused to be drawn into whether Mr Streeting was wrong to suggest the assisted dying law would come at the expense of other NHS services.
Keir Starmer’s official spokesman said: “Ultimately, as the Health Secretary himself recognised, these are issues which Parliament are going to debate and then Government will respect the views of Parliament, but we are getting ahead of parliamentary process, which in terms of debating haven’t begun yet.”
Ms Leadbeater has said her Bill – which requires two doctors and a High Court judge to agree in each case – as the “most robust” in the world. The proposed legislation also includes prison terms of up to 14 years for anyone found pressuring a patient to end their lives.
High-profile supporters include Dame Esther Rantzen, who is terminally ill and has joined Dignitas in Switzerland because of the current law.
The broadcaster has hailed the “wonderful” Bill, but said it is likely to come into effect too late for her. But critics have warned MPs against letting it become law.
Campaign group Right To Life UK branded the proposed legislation “a disaster in waiting”, and described the proposed measures as a “monumental change to our laws”. And Our Duty Of Care, representing doctors and nurses, has written to the Prime Minister arguing it is “impossible for any government to draft assisted suicide laws which include protection from coercion and future expansion”.
