Parliament cannot ignore moves to change law on assisted dying in parts of the UK and crown dependencies, say MPs

MPs have called on the government to take an active lead in discussions on assisted dying as plans in the Isle of Man, Jersey, and Scotland are set to lead to a change in the law.

“It looks increasingly likely that at least one jurisdiction will allow assisted dying in the near future,” says the report by the Health and Social Care Committee.1 “Ministers should be involved in discussions about how to approach the divergence in legislation.”

The report says that medical organisations, including the BMA and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), are already preparing for a change in the law in the UK. The BMA is “currently conducting internal discussions about matters that would impact doctors if the law were to change,” it says. In September 2023, RCGP set up a working group “to ensure that the college is prepared …