Hundreds of medical students have voiced their opposition to an assisted dying law, as dozens of Labour MPs called for this week’s vote on the issue to be delayed.
It is currently expected the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will have its third reading on Friday, with MPs voting to either send it through to the House of Lords or to stop it progressing any further.
It would be the first vote on the overall Bill to take place since November, when the proposed legislation passed second reading stage by a majority of 55 on a historic day which saw MPs support the principle of assisted dying for England and Wales.
But, days ahead of third reading, a group of Labour MPs opposed to the Bill have written to Commons leader Lucy Powell asking for more time to scrutinise a Bill they brand as “perhaps the most consequential piece of legislation that has appeared before the House in generations”.
They added that it “alters the foundations of our NHS, the relationship between doctor and patient, and it strips power away from Parliament, concentrating it in the hands of future secretaries of state for health”.
They also raised concerns that MPs might not have a copy of the final Bill by the time they vote, as some outstanding amendments will still be being considered on Friday morning.
The MPs, including Dame Meg Hiller, wrote: “We implore you as the Leader of the House to allocate more Parliamentary time to the scrutiny of this Bill, the valid concerns that members have about its implementation, and the consequences it could have on vulnerable populations.”
Their letter came as medical students sent their own to MPs, citing concerns about the Bill.
The student doctors, from universities across the UK, said: “We do not oppose dignified death – far from it. We oppose a Bill that risks offering death in place of care, that widens health inequalities, that places vulnerable patients in danger, and that reshapes the ethical foundation that our profession is built upon without any clear support.
“As future doctors, we may not yet be the voice of this profession – but we will be. And we are asking to be heard.”
But doctor and MP Simon Opher, who backs the Bill, said it is “no surprise that medical students, like GPs and most other professionals, have a range of opinions on assisted dying”.
He referenced one survey he said had been shared with him and showed a majority of medical students supported assisted dying in cases of terminal illness and unbearable suffering.
The Bill’s sponsor, Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, has repeatedly stated that her proposed legislation has been strengthened since it was first introduced last year, insisting it is subject to robust safeguards.
As it stands, 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.
MPs are entitled to have a free vote on the Bill and any amendments, meaning they decide according to their conscience rather than along party lines.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer voted in favour of the Bill last year, but said the Government remains neutral on the issue.
Both Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood voted against.
Last week, a majority of MPs approve a new clause, tabled by Dame Meg, to ensure medics cannot raise the topic of assisted dying with under-18s.
Her separate amendment to prevent health workers from bringing up the issue with adults patients before they have raised it was voted down.
A ban on advertising assisted dying should the Bill pass into law was also supported.
