A UK parliamentary Bill Committee has voted against allowing hospices and care homes to opt out of providing assisted suicide, raising concerns about religious and ethical freedoms in end-of-life care.
During the debate, MP Danny Kruger pushed for protections that would allow hospices to refuse participation in assisted suicide. “Unless we specify on the Bill they are allowed to opt out, they are going to be forced to do it,” he warned.
However, MP Kim Leadbeater argued that explicitly allowing an institutional opt-out could create “confusion,” leading to the rejection of an amendment from MP Rachael Maskell, which sought to ensure that no care home or hospice would be obligated to provide assisted suicide on their premises.
Naz Shah, another MP, echoed concerns raised by Hospice UK CEO Toby Porter, warning that consultants could leave the hospice sector over conscience objections. Porter noted that in a small hospice unit, it would be much harder for medical professionals to avoid involvement in assisted suicide compared to a large hospital setting.
Despite these concerns, MP Lewis Atkinson made it clear that he believes care homes should not be allowed to prohibit assisted suicide on their premises. “If the Bill becomes law, it would be a lawful choice,” Atkinson said, arguing that assisted suicide should be considered part of healthcare services.
Kruger countered, arguing that people should have the right to live in a care home or hospice that does not provide assisted suicide. “I think there will be many people who don’t want to live in communities in which that practice takes place,” he said.
MP Kit Malthouse suggested that religious organizations running private care homes, such as those for retired Catholic priests or Jewish residents, might be an exception to the rule. However, he noted that such services are not generally open to the public.
