What are the key considerations in the debate around assisted dying/assisted suicide?

Initial findings from our online public engagement

By MPs on the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee

Warning: This article discusses issues around end of life and suicide which some readers may find distressing.

Published on 11 May 2023

Our inquiry

In December 2022 we launched an inquiry to examine different perspectives in the debate on assisted dying/assisted suicide. We want to deepen our understanding of the broad range of views on this topic and to examine evidence from jurisdictions where this practice is legal. To do this, we:

asked for written submissions in response to the terms of reference for the inquiry
asked members of the public to share their views in an anonymous online public engagement form
visited health professionals in Portland, Oregon to deepen our understanding of the topic

Next, we will hear from people with lived experience and professional expertise of the subject in a mixture of public meetings and roundtable discussion events. The public meetings will be shown on parliamentlive.tv.

Throughout the inquiry we will publish:

transcripts of public meetings
a full thematic analysis of responses to our online public engagement form
a report of our findings

Here, we have summarised responses to our online public engagement form and what we learnt about the subject in Portland, Oregon.

Read on to learn more.

Safeguarding and support

If you have immediate concerns about yourself or someone else, you should contact the Police on 999. In addition to your GP, the following organisations may be able to offer support or further information:

Samaritans: Support and guidance for everyone.  Call 116 123 - 24 hours a day every day or email jo@samaritans.org.

The Silver Line: Support for older people; a free confidential helpline providing "information, friendship and advice" to people aged 55 and over, and support for "older people who are suffering abuse and neglect"; open 24 hours a day every day.  Call 0800 4 70 80 90.

Mind: For information, advice, and support for anyone experiencing a mental health problem. Call 0300 123 3393.

How inquiries work

UK Parliament select committees are set up to look closely at different topics and scrutinise the work of government. Their investigations, called inquiries, deepen understanding of an issue and provide opportunities for members of the public and experts to share their views.

Findings from online submissions

Suicide and attempted suicide are not crimes in England and Wales. However, it is a crime for a person to encourage or assist the suicide of another person. Euthanasia (healthcare professionals administering lethal drugs) is also illegal.

We asked respondents to our online public engagement form if they broadly agree or disagree with current law on assisted dying/assisted suicide and why.

We then asked which three factors from a list of eight influenced their views most and gave respondents an opportunity to share why they selected those options.

The written responses were analysed thematically which involves identifying themes and then counting mentions of those themes across the data collected.

The responses received are likely to demonstrate ‘self-selection’ or ‘volunteer’ bias, meaning they overrepresent people who have high levels of interest in this issue. The findings reflect the key perspectives of those responding and should not be interpreted as representative of all individuals.

Respondents who broadly agree with the current law in England and Wales

Seven themes emerged from the written responses from people who broadly agree with current law on this issue in England and Wales:

impact on vulnerable groups
impact on societal perceptions of disability
potential expansion of eligibility criteria and international comparisons
access to and impact on palliative and end of life care
impact on healthcare systems and healthcare professionals
sanctity of life
suicide prevention

Overall, the responses focused on the impact a change in the law could have on vulnerable groups and the healthcare professionals who would need to be involved in such a process. Some respondents prioritised this impact over the views of pressure groups and members of the general public who would support a change in the law. Views of religious groups were also raised within some of these submissions.

Many respondents proposed an increase in funding and provision for palliative and end of life care to reduce suffering. They argued that the current law should remain and some felt that further consideration of this issue by the UK Parliament was unnecessary.

Key factors influencing views of respondents who broadly agree with the current law in England and Wales

1. Risk of coercion to vulnerable groups
66% of respondents who said that they broadly agree with the current law in England and Wales

2. Risk of devaluing lives of specific groups
56% of respondents who said that they broadly agree with the current law in England and Wales

3. Sanctity of life
53% of respondents who said that they broadly agree with the current law in England and Wales

Respondents who broadly disagree with the current law in England and Wales

The written responses from those who broadly disagree with the law on this issue also produced seven themes:

what a change in the law should permit and eligibility criteria
reducing suffering and improving the experiences of people dying and their families
personal autonomy and dignity
access to and limits of palliative and end of life care
inequalities in the current law
safeguards and international comparisons
impact on healthcare systems and healthcare professionals

Generally, these responses emphasised the importance of voices of people with terminal illness and their families. Respondents felt that the views of healthcare professionals and experts should also be considered.

Many argued that a change in the law would require a cross-party approach and, importantly, that the UK Parliament would need sufficient time to consider how such a change would work in practice. Some respondents suggested that parliamentarians should be allowed to vote on this issue according to their own views and conscience, as opposed to the views of their political party.

Key factors influencing views of respondents who broadly disagree with the current law in England and Wales

1. Reducing suffering
94% of respondents who said that they broadly disagree with the current law in England and Wales

2. Personal dignity
86% of respondents who said that they broadly disagree with the current law in England and Wales

3. Personal autonomy
68% of respondents who said that they broadly disagree with the current law in England and Wales

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez/Unsplash

Photo by Jonas Leupe/Unsplash

Photo by Daniel Thomas/Unsplash

Learnings from Portland, Oregon

Photo by Health and Social Care Committee Team/UK Parliament

Our visit to Portland, Oregon

We visited Portland, Oregon to learn more about views across the debate on assisted dying/assisted suicide in place where a form of this practice is legal, introduced by the Death with Dignity Act (1997).

We met people with a range of views on the Act when we visited the Death with Dignity National Centre and met representatives from the campaign group Physicians for Compassionate Care. We also visited the Oregon Health Authority to better understand how the Act was monitored.

We spoke to people who had been involved in the process of introducing the Death With Dignity Act, and we discussed how the Act now operates in practice and the concerns that some people have about it.

Image of Pioneer Courthouse in Portland, Oregon

Photo by Health and Social Care Committee Team/UK Parliament

Members of the Health and Social Care Committee walking down a street in Portland, Oregon

Photo by Health and Social Care Committee Team/UK Parliament

Road sign on the corner of Morrison Street and Broadway in Portland, Oregon

Photo by Health and Social Care Committee Team/UK Parliament

Building sign with State of Oregon emblem

Next steps

Photo by Tyler Allicock/UK Parliament

What happens next?

Actions

Next, we will gather views from across the debate at roundtable discussion events.

We will also hear from experts and campaigners on this issue in public meetings. Check the inquiry page for upcoming dates and watch live on parliamentlive.tv.

Follow us on twitter for the latest updates