Disability campaigners have written to Andy Burnham asking him to improve social and palliative care before considering the assisted dying legislation.
Campaigners Rosie Jones, Ruth Madeley and Sophie Morgan are among those who have signed an open letter asking the government to reject the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill when it returns to Parliament in September.
Other signatories include author Elle McNicoll, Baroness Jane Campbell, broadcaster Sam Renke and actress Cherylee Houston.
First introduced in 2024, the bill would legalise assisted dying for terminally ill adults with six months or less to live.
The open letter, which can be read in full here, was organised by disability rights group Assist Us To Live. It calls for fully funded palliative care, changes to social care savings rules and equal pay for NHS staff.
The group claims people should have access to adequate support before deciding whether to end their lives. They argue such a decision can’t be made if someone lacks pain relief or help with basic needs such as washing and eating.
‘We understand the flaws in the current system,’ the letter reads. ‘No one wants any terminally ill person to suffer unnecessarily at death. But we must protect the lives and rights of disabled and terminally ill people in life.
‘We urge you to hear our voices, understand our fears and work with us to create a system that is safe for all: one that assists us to live.’
Samantha Baines, an actress and author, added: ‘The care system needs a huge reform, in consultation with disabled people. How can there be a vote on how people die without giving everyone the tools to live?’
Image: Annabel Podevyn/UnSplash
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