Giving evidence to Parliament on Assisted Dying - Rami Okasha

This week I am giving evidence to the Scottish Parliament Health Committee as part of their scrutiny of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, introduced by Liam McArthur MSP. The Bill is at Stage 1 which means MSPs are looking at the general principles. Consideration by the cross-party Health Committee is part of the process this Bill must go through before MSPs consider it further.

It may be several years before we know whether the proposal will go ahead, exactly what the final Bill will say and if the law in Scotland will change. It depends on how MSPs vote. As the Bill goes through the usual Scottish Parliament scrutiny process some details may change. In the end if the Bill is supported by a majority of MSPs, it will become an Act and pass into law. This could take several years.

As Chief Executive of Scotland’s only children’s hospice charity, I know assisted dying is an extremely highly emotive and complex issue. There will be a wide range of personal views on this issue among families and also among hospice staff, volunteers and supporters right across Scotland.

The Bill, if it becomes law, would be a big change. CHAS does not take a moral position either for or against assisted dying. Our role as an organisation is to look at the specific Bill that has been put forward, and to comment on how it might impact young people with a terminal illness, aged 16-21, who may be eligible under the proposals.

We do have lots of significant concerns about how this Bill, which has been written with older adults in mind, would impact young adults. Some of these relate to:

• the very broad definition of terminal illness, which would include young people who may have years to live
• whether 16 is the appropriate age for such a significant decision
• whether the process for assessing capacity is strong enough
• safeguarding, coercion and duress
• the impact on the hospice and wider palliative care sector, including on staff.

We are determined to ensure those concerns are fully considered. Our position is based on our area of expertise and specialist knowledge – as a provider of hospice care for babies, children and young people up to the age of 21.

Throughout this process CHAS will continue to closely examine the details of the Bill to understand how well-safeguarded it is for young people, and what safeguards are missing.

I would like to make a personal assurance that CHAS will be actively engaging throughout the parliamentary process to ensure our perspective, based on our clinical expertise regarding young adults with palliative care needs, is duly considered.

Find out more about the Assisted Dying Bill.