Assisted dying – a medical anthropologist on the complex practical and ethical road ahead.
The UK's House of Commons narrowly passed the terminally ill adults (end of life) bill on 20 June, a significant step toward legalising assisted dying in England and Wales.
A view from the clinic and bedside based on 15 years of conducting ethnographic research on end-of-life care in England.
No vested interests here eh Wes - just get on with it and when/if it becomes law get on and implement the will of your parliament.
#LetterboxdFriday is now trending across Mastodon
#AssistedDying is now trending across Mastodon
Two days, two historic votes. England and Wales has passed assisted dying in the Commons.
Overall I'm happy but I would note that:
i) this is an extremely bad implementation of AD, completely ignoring the incurably suffering (the main point of AD imo) and saddling the terminally ill (side beneficiaries of AD imo) with a medically unsound six month terminally ill clause.
ii) the politics around this have been terrible.
How Britain’s MPs were sold on assisted dying — after an almighty fight.
Inside the campaign for a monumental social reform, as MPs back assisted dying — and tee up more drama in the House of Lords.
Britain is one step closer to compassionate, kind death for all | Kim Leadbeater https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/20/britain-assisted-dying-vote-kim-leadbeater-labour-mp #Assisteddying #Politics #Society #UKnews #Law
Kim Leadbeater, the MP who introduced the assisted dying bill into parliament, said it has been a "long journey" to get the bill passed.
"It's been an extremely emotional journey. It was the right thing to happen,"
Absolutely agree.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/kim-leadbeater-reacts-assisted-dying-142703308.html
The House of Commons in London votes today on the third reading of the #AssistedDying bill. I hope that MPs will reflect upon what #GordonBrown has written about the bill:
* https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/16/mps-assisted-dying-bill-law-palliative-care
* https://cosocial.ca/@mpjgregoire/113532149563301394
https://www.europesays.com/uk/200009/ How Britain’s MPs were sold on assisted dying — after an almighty fight – POLITICO #AssistedDying #AssistedSuicide #Britain #ChristineJardine #Courts #DannyKruger #doctors #Elections #England #GreatBritain #Guernsey #HealthCare #IsleOfMan #Jersey #JoCox #KeirStarmer #KitMalthouse #Lobbying #NorthernIreland #patients #Rights #Scotland #Services #ShabanaMahmood #UK #UnitedKingdom #VickyFoxcroft #Wales #Welfare #WesStreeting
The #assisteddying bill has passed 314 to 291. 
Chi Onwurah says in the debate about #assisteddying today that "It will enable private companies to kill private citizens"
Fuck me backwards what a thing to say!
#AssistedDying is the right principle, the #Westminster Bill is the wrong solution. 1 example, this Bill allows #TechnoFascists to run services, with little oversight, transparency or even a profit cap. Do we want a #Thiel, #Bezos or #Musk running the #AssistedDying process?
assisted dying
I hope this is the last piece I ever have to write about assisted dying | Polly Toynbee https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/20/support-assisted-dying-todays-vote-mps-labour #Assisteddying #Politics #Society #Health #Labour #UKnews #Law
No Gordon you two faced bar steward. You are mistaking your beliefs (as a ‘son of the Manse’) and trying to justify them from the false equivalence of improving palliative care. Palliative care is essential and under resourced - that does not mean your refusal people right to end their own lives when dying in extreme, untreatable pain can be acceptable.
Palliative care AND assisted dying should both be supported.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/16/mps-assisted-dying-bill-law-palliative-care
MPs have personal beliefs, but also solemn duties: that’s why they must reject the assisted dying bill this week | Gordon Brown https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/16/mps-assisted-dying-bill-law-palliative-care #Assisteddying #Politics #Society #UKnews #Law
Italy’s first assisted suicide exposes years of political inaction.
Tuscany carried out its first assisted suicide on Wednesday, a landmark moment in Italy, where the right to die has been technically legal since 2019 but never translated into national legislation.
It defies a national legal vacuum as Meloni’s government pushes a bill that sidesteps regulation of the right to die.
In Canada, it was illegal to proactively offer Assisted dying when terminal patients were the only ones eligible.
When it was expanded to include disabled people, they started allowing doctors to “offer it”. Encourage them to bring it up.
Do you think this should be permitted?
If you’re voting “Yes” and comfortable saying why you think they should proactively bring it up… please comment. I would appreciate knowing your reasonings (DMs open as well)
Eugenics, medical trauma, assisted dying
