'Deeply dangerous' assisted dying bill should be scrapped, says leading care consultant

A leading British palliative care consultant has described the assisted dying bill as "not fit for purpose" and is urging MPs to stop the bill from progressing any further.

Rejecting assurances from supporters of assisted dying who claim the proposed British version would be based on the scheme used in the American state of Oregon - widely regarded as the model with the most safeguards - Dr Amy Proffitt said "it's far from a safe system".

"The majority, 80% of the people that have assisted death have government insurance with Medicaid or Medicare suggesting that the vulnerable in society are not worth it," she said.

"Put that into our NHS and what does it say about us as a society... those with disability, those with learning disabilities, those with social deprivation?"

Dr Proffitt added: "I think it's deeply dangerous for the bill that has been proposed and it needs to be scrapped and we go back and look again."

She and other leading palliative care doctors have expressed concern about the erosion of end of life care if the bill passes. It is a fear expressed by Britain's hospice sector.

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Source: Sky News, 1 June 2025