Cost of assisted dying could force cuts to other NHS care, says Streeting

Civil servants are looking at the extra costs that legalising assisted dying would put on the NHS, with a warning from Wes Streeting that some services may be cut to fund any expanded end-of-life care.

- Denis Campbell

The health secretary has asked officials at the Department of Health and Social Care to analyse the potential "implications" for NHS services if the right to die is legalised in England and Wales for people who have six months or less to live.

The work is under way amid an increasing focus on how the NHS would cope with helping people to end their life early. The MP leading the push for assisted dying believes they would number in the hundreds each year, rather than the thousands.

DHSC officials have already begun looking at the costs of the practicalities involved, which could involve an expansion of the services provided by hospitals or district nurses.

The disclosure comes after Streeting made clear that legalisation could force the health service to make difficult decisions about the funding of some existing services.

"There would be resource implications for doing it. And those choices would come at the expense of other choices," he told Times Radio yesterday.

Asked if he would have to find the money to fund an extension of palliative care from elsewhere in the NHS budget, Streeting replied: "Yep. If parliament chooses to go ahead with assisted dying, it is making a choice that this is an area to prioritise for investment. And we'd have to work through those implications."

Later, speaking to the media at the NHS Providers conference in Liverpool, Streeting again highlighted his belief that legalisation could put pressure on the NHS budget.