Health, Social Care and Sport Committee 11 November 2025
Those points are well made, but we must be clear about what amendment 66 would do and, critically, where it comes from. Jackie Baillie’s amendments were drafted in conjunction with the British Medical Association and other professional bodies, so it is not MSPs who are asking for this but the profession itself, because doctors are concerned about the very points that I am setting out. Furthermore, amendment 71 states plainly that the regulations “must” be made in consultation
“with trade unions and professional bodies”.
Such matters are always about balance, but the medical profession and medical practice are highly regulated. It is not true that the law has nothing to say about medical practice or that it does not set out standards, review periods and expectations about training, because it does. Amendment 71 would require ministers to put in place regulations that set out training requirements and professional standards, which would be kept under review.
Amendments 66, 68, 70 and 72 are largely consequential. In addition to the medical and clinical considerations, amendment 71A sets out the need to consider domestic abuse. There has been a great deal of concern about the possibility of individuals facing undue pressure or coercion by third parties. Amendment 71A was drafted in consultation with Dr Anni Donaldson, an academic who is an expert on domestic abuse. It is important that any such training takes account of the dynamics of how domestic abuse can take place, how to respond effectively when that may be in play, and how treatment can be offered in such circumstances.
Amendment 49 was drafted in consultation with CHAS, which Liam McArthur referred to. Although CHAS operates in Jackie Baillie’s constituency, its office is in my constituency. I do not know whether that is a declaration of interest, but there is certainly an overlap.
It is true to say that the way in which terminal illnesses manifest in young people can be substantially different in how patients are treated and the nature of those illnesses. Understanding the prognoses requires a great deal of attention.
It is right that we think about how the provisions in the bill might extend to younger people—they will find themselves in a very different set of circumstances from the bulk of the people who we think of as being in this cohort, who will be substantially older. Amendment 49 therefore seeks to add specific training requirements for those who will consult young adults and younger people and assess the degree to which the illness is terminal, advanced and progressive. The amendment would require additional qualifications and understandings on that.