Liam McArthur lodges amendments to Assisted Dying Bill at Holyrood

The MSP behind a Bill to legalise assisted dying in Scotland says he will introduce “a range of safeguards” to the legislation when it comes before MSPs again.

Holyrood’s Health Committee will next month begin detailed scrutiny of proposals from Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur which would, if passed, allow terminally-ill adults to seek help to end their life.

The Scottish Parliament has already agreed to the general principles of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill.

But Mr McArthur revealed he has now lodged a series of amendments to this, saying the changes proposed will “take on board the views of experts” who could be involved in delivering such services to terminally-ill Scots.

The amendments include one to set out that there would be “no duty to participate in assisted dying” for health workers – with the MSP saying this, along with the need for training for those involved in providing assisted deaths, means there would effectively be an “opt-in” system for medical professionals.

Proposals to make coercing someone into seeking an assisted death an offence are also to be extended.

While these already apply to the early stages of the process in the legislation as it stands, Mr McArthur is looking to extend these so they cover all stages of the process a terminally ill person would have to go through.

This will see a specific offence of coercing and pressurising someone to take the approved substance needed to end their life created.

Another proposed change would see details on the approved substance included on someone’s death certificate, along with the terminal illness they suffered from.

Other amendments will clarify that a person would not be classed as terminally-ill – and therefore eligible to seek an help to die – just because they have a disability or mental disorder.

Mr McArthur also confirmed he will support an amendment from Tory MSP Dr Sandesh Gulhane to increase the age at which someone with a terminal condition could seek help to die, raising this from 16 to 18.

Mr McArthur said: “Now that Parliament has approved the principles of the Bill, the focus rightly shifts to safe and compassionate implementation.

“The amendments I have lodged today take on board the views of experts who will have a role in the delivery of extending the choice of assisted dying to terminally-ill patients and address points that the Parliament’s Health Committee wished to see clarified at this stage in the process.”

He stressed he was looking to work with fellow MSPs to “to ensure we can introduce a new law that extends choice to dying people who need it and introduces a range of safeguards which are sorely lacking at present”.

Mr McArthur added: “Each amendment I have submitted underpins the Bill’s driving principles of safety, compassion and choice.

“They balance the need for dying people to be able to access the option of assisted dying with strong protections put in place around that. They increase transparency around end-of-life care and decision-making.

“They ensure that the decision of whether or not to participate in the process is firmly in the hands of individual medics by shifting from an opt-out to an opt-in system.”

He praised the “willingness” of Dr Gulhane and other MSPs to work with him on the legislation, with Mr McArthur stating: “I am confident that together we will deliver the right law that improves end-of-life care for all in Scotland.”