Church-led hospices face potential closure as archbishop raises concerns about the legalization of assisted suicide

News Article: Catholic Leaders Oppose Assisted Suicide Bill in UK

In a statement posted on the bishops' conference website on September 1, Archbishop John Sherrington of Liverpool has called on Catholics in England and Wales to oppose the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. The bill, which is currently in the process of passing through stages in the upper house of the British Parliament, has sparked concern among religious and medical communities.

If passed, the bill would allow adults with fewer than six months to live the right to be assisted in committing suicide by a medic. This right would be granted upon the approval of two doctors and a panel consisting of a social worker, a lawyer, and a psychiatrist. However, the Catholic Medical Association, representing hundreds of British Catholic doctors and nurses, opposes the bill due to concerns about inadequate conscience provisions for healthcare professionals.

The association has expressed that the bill obliges any doctor who refuses to assist in a suicide to refer patients to doctors who would grant them access to lethal drugs. Many doctors will effectively be unable to opt out of cooperating with the procedure, due to the duty to direct patients to information and to where they can have a preliminary discussion.

Archbishop Sherrington believes the bill puts the lives of vulnerable patients at risk due to inadequate safeguards against coercion. He warns that an assisted suicide law would undermine the provision of palliative care and there is a risk that some care homes and hospices may be forced to significantly limit or even withdraw their services due to the bill.

The bill also undermines the duty of care of healthcare professionals by permitting them to help patients end their lives, fundamentally changing the relationship between the medical professional and the patient. The archbishop expressed urgent concern about the bill, stating it puts the safety of healthcare institutions, professionals, and patients at risk.

The bill, which was first tabled in the House of Commons in late 2024 and successfully completed its stages in the lower chamber in June 20XX, passing by a majority of 23 votes, is scheduled for a Sept. 12 vote at the second reading in Britain's second political chamber. Specific members of the House of Lords who are contacting Catholics in England and Wales to oppose the Terminally Ill Adults Bill are not explicitly named in the provided search results. However, opposition speeches during the House of Lords debates have been led by peers like Baroness May of Maidenhead and Baroness Berger, who expressed concerns about the Bill's impact on vulnerable groups and church-run care homes.

The Catholic Medical Association has appealed to members of the House of Lords to oppose the bill, citing concerns about the potential exacerbation of an already difficult recruitment and retention position in medical professions. Simon Caldwell writes for the website from Liverpool, England. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill must now pass through similar stages in the upper house before it becomes law.

Church-led hospices face potential closure as archbishop raises concerns about the legalization of assisted suicide