Assisted dying bill: doctors oppose ban on raising option with patients

Doctors are preparing to speak out against changes to the proposed assisted dying law that could ban physicians from raising the procedures with patients.

- Jessica Elgot

The British Medical Association, which will give evidence to a committee of MPs scrutinising Kim Leadbeater's private member's bill, has said doctors must be allowed to raise assisted dying sensitively with patients if it becomes law.

The BMA said it would be "an unacceptable intrusion of legislation into the privacy of the consulting room".

Up to 30 MPs who backed assisted dying could withdraw their support at the next parliamentary vote. At the top of their demands for change is that the bill should not permit medical professionals to suggest assisted dying to terminally ill patients.