BuDS has compassion for people suffering at the end of life and wants everyone to be able to experience a peaceful and dignified death. We recognise the spectrum of strong views held about the issue of ‘Assisted Dying’ or ‘Assisted Suicide’.
As a community of disabled people, BuDS strongly holds that the lives and wellbeing of disabled people are of equal value to that of non-disabled people. BuDS exists to uphold and defend the interests of disabled people. ‘Assisted Dying’ significantly affects the interests of disabled people, especially now that an Assisted Dying Bill is before the Commons, and BuDS therefore needs to engage with the issue and have a policy position on it.
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Facts We Have Taken Into Account
In deciding our policy, BuDS has taken into account the following facts:
- BuDS is not a religious charity and religious doctrine plays no part in our thinking.
- Taking your own life is not a criminal offence in the UK, but it is a serious criminal offence to help or persuade someone to take their life. Notwithstanding the euphemism of ‘assisted death’, the reality of the situation is that any law change will allow people to be deliberately killed by others in circumstances which currently would be illegal and amount in most cases to murder. This is a very significant practical and symbolic change in the law which fundamentally alters the absolute right to life and strong legal protection which people currently have.
- Assisted Dying is not a neutral matter of personal choice. It has consequences for everyone because the law, which affects everyone, would have to be changed to allow some to exercise a choice.
- Disabled people, particularly those who are neurodivergent, learning disabled or have mental health issues, are much more likely than non-disabled people to have suicidal feelings, ideation or intent at some point. Any change in the law to allow others to assist or persuade others to die will affect disabled people most.
- Many disabled people are extremely vulnerable to coercion to take their life and/or to feelings that their death would relieve others of a burden or stress. Any change in the law to allow others to assist or persuade others to die will affect disabled people most.
- Nearly everyone is vulnerable at the end of their lives, through ill-health or diminished capacity or both. Many exponents of ‘Assisted Dying’, however, are in the privileged position of possessing enough wealth, influence and social networks to protect themselves from coercion or abuse at the end of their lives. This does not apply to most disabled people, who are often socially isolated and lack wealth or influence.
- ‘Assisted Dying’ is presented as a merciful relief for people who are terminally ill and in unendurable pain or distress which cannot be relieved by existing palliative or end of life care. However, little evidence has been brought forward to prove that there are more than a handful of such cases per year.
- Palliative care clinicians recognise that poor end of life care can result in distressing circumstances of death, but the overwhelming majority of clinicians say that improving care is the answer to such situations. There is almost no professional support for the argument that palliative care is so inadequate at relieving pain and distress at the end of life that ‘Assisted Death’ is necessary.
- Wherever ‘Assisted Dying’ has been introduced, far more people have been directly affected than originally intended, and safeguards to prevent abuse have been inadequate. This is most clearly seen in Canada, where the original tightly-drawn and ‘humane’ ‘Medically Assisted Dying (MAID) scheme has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, and death now being offered as a therapy by clinicians.
Statements of Principle
Taking into account the above facts, BuDS has adopted the following statements of principle:
- ‘Assisted Dying’ would be a highly symbolic change to the law. The current absolute and overriding right to life which people have in all circumstances would be changed to a conditional right to life, where it would be acceptable to take someone’s life in certain circumstances. The debate then would not be about people’s right to live, but the circumstances in which it would be acceptable to take their lives away. This is particularly relevant to disabled people, whose lives are often felt to be of less value than others or who do not value their own life.
- ‘Assisted Dying’ would be a very significant practical change to the law on murder and unlawful killing. Circumstances would be created where ending another life would be legal. Whatever safeguards are created to allow only the ‘right’ people to have their life ended, the imperfections of the health, care and legal systems mean that there is significant potential for abuse, overreach and coercion. Disabled people would be most affected, because they are most vulnerable to both internal and external pressures to end their lives and have the lowest levels of protection.
- It follows from this that ‘Assisted Dying’ represents a very significant risk for disabled people in particular. Therefore, BuDS takes the view that ‘Assisted Dying’ should only be legalised if there is an overwhelmingly good reason to do so which outweighs the significant risk to disabled people.
- There is little or no evidence that significant numbers of people are dying in unendurable pain or distress which cannot be relieved by existing good-quality palliative or end of life care. The onus is on those who want to introduce Assisted Dying to produce that evidence and they have been unable to do so.
- Therefore, it is impossible to conclude that changing the law to allow the killing of other people in certain circumstances is a reasonable and proportionate response to the issue of a small number of people dying in pain or distress.
- Additionally, palliative care clinicians and practitioners are overwhelmingly of the view that better palliative and end-of-life care will effectively relieve the pain and distress of all but a tiny number of dying people. There is therefore a practical solution to the issue of people dying in pain or distress which does not carry any risk for disabled people, which is better palliative and end-of-life care.
Policy Statements
BuDS has therefore adopted the following policy about the introduction of Assisted Dying in the UK:
BuDS opposes the introduction of Assisted Dying in the UK because we do not think that changing the law, which protects people’s right to life, is a necessary or proportionate response to the fact that a small number of people die in pain or distress.
BuDS strongly advocates for better palliative and end-of-life care so that people do not die in avoidable pain or distress, and can experience a peaceful and dignified death.
BuDS feels that Assisted Dying would create very significant new risks for disabled people, and that those risks outweigh any potential benefit which Assisted Dying might bring for a very small number of people.
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Help & Support
If you need help and support in a crisis, or you are feeling very depressed or suicidal, you can get help 24/7 from a number of organisations. You can find links and phone numbers here.
BuDS is here to support all disabled people, although we are not a crisis service. To find out how we can help, please contact us.