|
Local MP hosts panel discussion on
end-of-life controversy
Published 21.03.2025. By Helen Gavaghan, Todmorden, West Yorkshire.
Yesterday Calder Valley MP, Josh Fenton-Glynn (Labour), hosted a panel discussion about the "Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. Dubbed "assisted dying" the proposed legislaton would decriminalise assisted dying in exigeant circumstances. It has generated tension between those believing in the individual's right to take their own life with medical help if terminally ill, and those concerned the door might be opened to co-ercion. It is a debate which has highlighted the need for greater provision of palliative care in the UK, and its existence raises the question whether even with perfect palliative care there might be illnesses, such as motor neurone disease, where assisted dying in the final six months of life might be the more compassionate choice in a civilised society.
Currently, the bill is weaving its way through the UK's legislative process for Statute in England and Wales. In the last parliamentary vote Fenton-Glynn abstained. Nor has he yet decided his future voting intention, Fenton-Glynn told the audience. His concern is there is insufficient safeguard in the bill for those made emotionally and physically frail through illness and facing their own imminent mortality. That concern was vehemently denied by one audience member, who said co-ercion is a very clear concept. Notably, the expert medics did not accept that view.
Speakers about the legislation came from medicine, humanities, and Calderdale Interfaith*. In a country where more than 50 percent of people engage in spiritual practise, Fenton-Glynn argued the need to include faith groups. Calderdale Interfaith has recently lost its Muslim representative, and is looking for a replacement. That person would join Hindhus, Christians, Buddhists and Sikhs, and, for the first time, Interfath Calderdale is seeking a Jewish representative, said John Bouttell from Calderdale Intefaith. During Q&A the MP came underfire for not having a representative of the disabled community on his panel. "I hold my hand up to that," he said, accepting such an inclusions should have been given more thought.
Lack of time for a proper debate on issues surrounding decriminalisation of assisted dying has added to tensions around the bill's passage to law, and it is not yet clear whether the bill in its current form will reach the Statute book. A problem is that because the bill is sponsored by a private member rather than the government there is less time for scrutiny and debate. Fenton-Glynn has already explored whether the government might adopt the legislation, but was told "no" by the chief whip.
The meeting was respectful in tone, with the loudest cheer from the 60 or 70 attendees being for Jenny Coleman, a celebrant from Calderdale Humanists UK. She asked, "whose life is it" and asserted it was her right to choose to end her life with medical help if experiencing an otherwise awful end-of life. She made the point that some may commit suicide and shorten their life if they think later they will be physically incapable of making that choice. Most contributors from the audience seemed pleased the debate was at last beng held. Even if the bill fails this time, they expressed relief the matter was now in the open. Nuanced views on ethics, palliative care and its possible interaction with lawful assisted dying were presented by panelists, but there was not much detailed discussion of the science and assisted dying in practise.
Rachel Shiels, a consultant in palliative medicine and medical director of Overgate Hospice, was concerned that lack of access to proper social care might make people needlessly choose assisted dying. Both she and Laura Green, programme director and senior lecturer in palliative and end-of-life care at the University of Manchester, tried to give the audience a sense of the quality of end-of-life possible with palliative care. Green did admit if diagnosed with MND she might want to chose assisted dying. For Andrew Stanners an ethicist from the Universityof Leeds, and a consultant physician with Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, the essence of the debate was the need to balance harms.
*The Panelists were
Dr Laura Green. A nurse for 30 years, and programme director and senior lecturer in nursing, palliative and end-of-life care at The University of Manchester.
Dr Andrew Stanners. Ethicist, University of Leeds. Consultant physician mid-Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust.
Jenny Coleman. Calderdale Humanist UK.
Dr Rachel Shiels. Consultant Palliative Medicine and Medical Director. Overgate.
John Bouttell. Trustee Calderdale Interfaith.
|