A number of headlines reporting our initial letter to the health committee protesting their decision not to invite terminally ill people to give evidence.

Success! After our protests, health committee sets aside time to hear from terminally ill people on assisted dying bill

November 12, 2024

We’ve received a reply from Holyrood’s Health, Social Care, and Sport Committee to our letter of October 17, in which we protested their decision not to hear from terminally ill people on Liam McArthur’s assisted dying bill. The committee has now guaranteed that the voices of the terminally ill will be heard.

In a major win for our campaigning work, Holyrood’s Health, Care, and Sport Committee has written to us assuring us that they will make time to hear from terminally ill people as part of their scrutiny of Liam McArthur MSP’s assisted dying bill.

We wrote on 17 October pointing out the baffling omission of any scheduled sessions to hear from terminally ill people on the possible legalisation of assisted dying. By contrast, time was rightly set aside to hear from disabled people, although they would not be eligible for assisted dying if the bill passes.

On 8 November we received a response to our letter from committee convenor Clare Haughey MSP. Ms Haughey writes:

“The Committee is engaging with a number of organisations involved in the provision of frontline care and support to adults living with a terminal illness to explore options for those that may wish to, to contribute additional testimony to the Committee’s scrutiny of the Bill. Our intention is that those individuals will be offered a choice of formats in which to submit their testimony, and whether they wish that testimony to be made public or to remain private.”

We take this as a guarantee that the committee will set aside time specifically to hear from the terminally ill. We understand that these sessions may need to be private or specially adapted. This is appropriate to suit the needs and rights of those living with terminal illness.

Terminally ill people are the group most directly affected by Scotland potential assisted dying law. The law would only be available to people already dying. By contrast, disability alone would not be sufficient basis to request an assisted death. We know that terminally ill people are overwhelmingly in favour of assisted dying, and it’s vital their voices are heard. So we are very pleased with this guarantee from the health committee.

Read the health committee’s response to our letter

Tell your MSP the Time is Now for an Assisted Dying law

Please help us reach every MSP in Scotland to ask them to support Liam McArthur’s Assisted Dying bill in Scotland.

Write to your MSP

Title image: A number of headlines reporting on our initial letter to the health committee protesting their decision not to invite terminally ill people to give evidence.