Assisted Dying Parliamentary Inquiry info session
ZOOM LINK
The Health and Social Care Committee has launched an inquiry into assisted dying/assisted suicide. We will be submitting a response on behalf of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches (GA), which is due on Friday 20 January. The GA passed a resolution in favour of assisted dying in 2013, but 10 years on there is new information and evidence to consider, so we would like to hear from you as we draft our response.
We will be holding an online information session via Zoom (details below) on Sunday 15 January at 7pm. If you cannot attend but wish to contribute your views, please email Ann Howell (our Social Action Officer) by Tuesday 17 January. The event will be hosted by Ann Howell and Executive Committee member Robert Ince.
This is your chance to get your voice heard! If you have a personal story or perspective, you can submit a personal response of up to 300 words here, where you will also find more information about the inquiry.
As an organisation, we are asked to consider the following questions:
- To what extent do people in England and Wales have access to good palliative care? a) How can palliative care be improved, and would such improvements negate some of the arguments for assisted dying/assisted suicide?
- What can be learnt from the evidence in countries where assisted dying / assisted suicide is legal?
- What are the professional and ethical considerations involved in allowing physicians to assist someone to end their life?
- What, if any, are the physical and mental health criteria which would make an individual eligible to access assisted dying / assisted suicide services?
- What protections could be put in place to protect people from coercion and how effective would these be?
- What information, advice and guidance would people need in order to be able to make an informed decision about whether to access assisted dying / assisted suicide services?
- What capabilities would a person need to be able to consent to assisted dying / assisted suicide?
- What should the Government’s role be in relation to the debate?
Zoom Link. Meeting ID: 830 2330 0843. Passcode: 843541.