New poll shows on assisted suicide, public want safety prioritised over 'choice'

The irredeemably flawed assisted suicide bill at Westminster has been dealt a fresh setback after new polling showed the public want politicians to prioritise safety over patient ‘choice’.

According to the new poll of 2,000 UK adults for the campaign group Care Not Killing (CNK), when asked if they would support a new law that enabled patient choice but put vulnerable people at risk, 42 per cent opposed the move, compared with 35 per cent in favour.

The poll also found mass support for ‘ironclad’ safeguards, which is a stinging criticism of those claiming Peers are ‘filibustering’ the Bill.

Other results include:

• 86 per cent of the public support additional protections for people with Down syndrome, autism and learning disabilities.
• 84 per cent believe it must be mandatory for the patient to initiate any discussion on ending life, rather than a doctor or medical professional
• 82 per cent want a mandatory consultation with a palliative care specialist before any decision is made about assisted suicide.
• 76 per cent of the public believe the law must explicitly prohibit cases where there is a suspicion the patient feels motivated by poverty, lack of care, or feeling a ‘burden’.

There was also strong support for an ‘opt-out’ for hospices and care homes to protect them from facilitating assisted suicide.

Commenting on the findings, ex-MP and Director of Advocacy and Policy at CARE, Caroline Ansell, said:

“The more the public understands how the irredeemably flawed assisted suicide would work in practice, the more they reject it.

“Rightly, many people want the safety of patients to be the priority, over the deeply flawed concept of ‘choice’.

“I urge Peers to note the strong support for what the House of Lords has been doing these past months: providing proper, detailed scrutiny.

“Far from being an exercise in ‘blocking’ or ‘filibustering’, this poll shows the public want the second chamber to properly perform its constitutional role.

“What this new polling shows is that the public are obviously highly concerned about the unintended consequences of assisted suicide.

“They worry about vulnerable people feeling pressure to end their lives prematurely.

“Our hope remains that this dangerous and flawed Bill will fall and parliamentarians will focus debate time and private members bills on improving access to palliative care.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

CARE is a social policy charity bringing a Christian perspective to matters of public policy.

This new polling was first published here: https://parliamentnews.co.uk/b...

For more information / interview requests: james.mildred@care.org.uk // 07717516814