Expert Says Palliative Care Must Improve Before Assisted Suicide Can Be Considered

January 29, 2025 TruthUSA

Sarah Cox raised the question to the committee about the appropriateness of introducing a new law at a time when individuals lack the option of receiving good palliative care.

The President of the Association of Palliative Medicine (APM) emphasized that before considering assisted suicide, palliative care needs significant improvement. Sarah Cox, with 30 years of end-of-life care experience, expressed concerns to MPs about the current inadequate state of palliative care. She highlighted that a lack of access to end-of-life care may push terminally ill individuals towards opting for assisted suicide.

Cox stressed the need to enhance palliative care to ensure patients have a genuine choice before implementing the bill. Effective palliative care, as explained, can change someone’s perspective from desiring death due to a terminal illness to choosing to live. Cox estimated that around 100,000 people in the UK annually do not receive the necessary palliative care.

She posed a thought-provoking question to the committee, asking whether it is appropriate to introduce a law for assisted dying when individuals lack access to proper palliative care.

Sarah Cox acknowledged that even with a robust palliative care system, some individuals may still opt for assisted dying. However, she highlighted the current inadequacy of the palliative care system as a major concern.