Health, Social Care and Sport Committee 11 November 2025
Amendment 225 would make provision about training for medical practitioners who are providing assistance. It specifies that medical practitioners must undertake training or have qualifications that are
“related to ... knowledge of palliative care and alternative care options to providing terminally ill adults assistance to end their own lives ... understanding of independent living, in accordance with article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ... awareness and identification of coercion, pressure or undue influence”
and
“equality and non-discrimination principles, with specific reference to the rights and experiences of”
disabled people, terminal illness and socioeconomic disadvantage.
My amendments in the group are crucial to the bill because they would safeguard against the concerns that have been raised by many people, including some disabled people, that not having adequate information and support on the right to practical assistance to lead an ordinary life through things that support independent living can have a huge impact on their lives. It can mean that disabled people feel that they are a burden and that they do not have their care needs met. It can mean that they are frightened of what life could be like should they lose a particular function. In fact, when you meet other disabled people or understand what your rights are and what you should be able to expect, life can sometimes appear to be a lot more tolerable. It is crucial that people who are supporting people to carry out assisted suicide give that support and create that awareness in order to help people understand what their other options are.