Cardinal Nichols warns that assisted dying legislation puts hospices and care homes at risk

Disability rights campaigners have also reiterated their concerns about the Bill

The future of many hospice facilities and care homes is under threat from a “tragedy” that can only be avoided by the defeat of the assisted dying legislation tomorrow, Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Vincent Nichols has warned.

Cardinal Nichols and Archbishop of Liverpool John Sherrington said in a joint statement, “The future of many care homes and hospices will be put in grave doubt if the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill becomes law.”

They warned, “The rights that this Bill will give individuals to seek assisted suicide, and to employees to participate in an assisted suicide, are likely to trump the mission and values of institutions such as hospices and care homes.”

Assisted suicide is “highly likely to become a duty on care homes and hospices to facilitate”, Nichols and Sherrington said. It could place unnecessary pressures upon healthcare workers and patients, and may “require these institutions to act contrary to their traditional and principled foundations”.

Institutions whose mission has always been to provide compassionate care in sickness or old age, and to provide such care until the end of life, may have no choice “but to withdraw from the provision of such care”, they warned.

According to the latest polling by Whitestone Insight, for the disability rights group Not Dead Yet, many people are wary of the legalisation.

Politicians “need to hear that a significant majority of the UK population agree disabled people’s lives will be threatened if this legislation is passed”, said Mike Smith, spokesperson for Not Dead Yet.  “Irrespective of where individual MPs are on the principle of assisted suicide, there is a clear justification that now is not the time to be introducing legislation such as this,” Smith said.  

According to the findings, 63 per cent of respondents believe that disabled people may feel a sense of pressure or coercion to end their lives early if they gauge that they may be a burden to their loved ones or society. And 67 per cent of disabled people who were polled believe that the Bill could directly promote increased pressure to end their life.  

“Too many MPs are considering this legislation in the context of reducing some individual’s suffering at the end of life without having regard to the many thousands more whose lives will be threatened because of it. We have to consider not just the detail of the Bill, but the environment and reality into which it will be introduced. There is a real concern that assisted suicide will become the de facto primary option because existing infrastructure can’t cope with the pressures on it,” Smith continued. 

Disability rights campaigner Baroness Campbell of Surbiton, who suffers from spinal muscular dystrophy, said, “In recent times disabled and older people have faced severe cuts to the support they receive to live independent, dignified lives. Scarce, inadequate accessible housing and lack of good social care support have made the challenges we face daily harder than ever. At times our situation becomes overwhelmingly unbearable and we see no way out. Many of us become susceptible to dark thoughts of a quick, final, solution rather than fight for the access, care and support which is essential to our happiness.” 

Baroness Grey-Thompson, of Eaglescliffe, the Paralympian athlete, said, “We are constantly being told that this bill is not for disabled people and there will not be coercion. Coercion is an absolute reality in today’s society, and in every jurisdiction where assisted dying has been brought in, it has expanded either through legislation, the court system or practice. It is very easy to see that this route will be suggested to disabled people who will be made to feel a burden. We are a critical moment in disabled people’s lives. The benefit system is there to support the most vulnerable in society. With this bill a figure has been put on the cost of our lives. Those in the medical profession will now be under pressure not to look at best treatment. They will be forced to decide what is the cheapest option.”

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