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A group of disabled people sitting and standing together at a bench in a park. The person on the far left of the image is seated in a wheelchair.

BuDS Response to Tom Shakespeare’s Letter Supporting Assisted Suicide

Ben Clark

The disabled author and broadcaster Tom Shakespeare, and some of his colleagues, have written to MPs supporting the legalisation of assisted suicide. You can read more about their letter below.

BuDS has always recognised that disabled people, like people everywhere, have different views about assisted suicide. Tom Shakespeare and his colleagues are certainly entitled to theirs. However, every disabled-led organisation in the UK has come out against assisted suicide and, in our own experience as a large network of ordinary disabled people with all types of impairment and condition, it is only a small minority of disabled people who support assisted suicide.

The very fact that there is public argument about what ‘disabled people think’ underlies the need for this frenzied rush to legalise assisted suicide to be paused to allow proper research and analysis. It is extraordinary that Parliament is being asked to make a far-reaching change in the criminal law without there having been any proper consultation with dying people, disabled people, hospices, family lawyers, the judiciary or the medical profession.

BuDS has called for a Royal Commission to be convened to consider whether assisted suicide should be legalised. Such a Commission could examine international practice, properly consult interested parties, analyse the form of any law change, and bring forward properly researched recommendations based on evidence, not slogans and emotion. Tom Shakespeare’s letter underlines the critical need for such a wide-ranging study before the law is changed.

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An elderly man lies in a hospital bed. He is gazing wistfully out of a window, and holding a mug in his hands.

Assisted Suicide: Five Hours Is Not Long Enough

Ben Clark

Kim Leadbeater MP has introduced a Private Members Bill (PMB) to legalise the medical killing of patients in certain circumstances. BuDS has once again called on Ms Leadbeater to withdraw her bill to allow time for a Royal Commission to be set up to thoroughly explore the issue of Assisted Dying and make evidence-based recommendations for a change in the law. We think dying people deserve nothing less.

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An image of two hospital beds beside each other, with a white curtain partially separating them.

BuDS’ Statement on DWP Work Coaches in Mental Health Hospitals

Ben Clark

User led disability charity Buckinghamshire Disability Service (BuDS) has criticised as ‘frightening and counter-productive’ Liz Kendall MP’s statement to the BBC that DWP Work Coaches will be offering employment support to inpatients in mental health hospitals.

In a statement issued by the charity, the Chair of Trustees, Andrew Clark, said:

“As a charity, we feel well qualified to speak on this matter. Not only does BuDS include people with mental health conditions, many of whom have been inpatients, but we support many people with mental health issues into work through our Reach4Work project. That project was led until recently by a person with bipolar affective disorder – see https://buds.org.uk/buds-bipolar-and-me-my-journey-with-reach4work/

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A image of the head and shoulders of a woman wearing a pink woollen hat and winter coat, stood atop a mountain with larger mountains in the background. She is smiling at the camera.

Thriving with ADHD: Top Coping Strategies for Everyday Life

Ben Clark 1 Comment

Written by Janneke Elford, BuDS HR and Projects Manager

“If you’re reading this, chances are you, or someone you know is dealing with ADHD. It’s no walk in the park (cue Jurassic Park quotes now stuck in my head), but with the right strategies, you can manage the challenges and more importantly, harness the strengths within your neurodiverse brain! Here’s a quick guide to some ADHD-friendly coping strategies to help you navigate life a bit more smoothly.

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