What is happening with assisted dying?
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, often called the assisted dying bill, has been one of the most debated pieces of legislation in recent times. But what has happened to it? And what does this mean for the future?
What has happened to the Bill?
The Bill passed through the House of Commons, after extensive debate and amendments. It was then scrutinised in the House of Lords, where thousands of amendments were proposed, and debates were lengthy.
Due to these significant debates, the Bill has now run out of time in this parliamentary session, which means it will likely not pass into law in this session.
Parliamentary sessions typically last around a year (from Spring to Spring), and any bills that have not completed their passage by the end of a session fall. To continue, they must be reintroduced in the next session.
What happens next?
This is not necessarily the end of attempts to legalise assisted dying. For example, MPs could introduce a similar bill in the next session or use parliamentary mechanisms (like the Parliament Acts) to force the legislation through if MPs continue to support it.
Regardless, the issue is unlikely to disappear, and public and political pressure may lead to repeated attempts. This mirrors what has happened in other countries, where assisted dying laws often take multiple attempts before passing.
What is Sue Ryder doing?
The Bill has helped to bring attention to palliative and end-of-life care, and it's vital that access to high-quality care for everyone at the end of life remains a priority – whatever happens next.
Alongside Age UK, Hospice UK, Marie Curie and Together for Short Lives we have written to the Government, warning that without urgent action, huge numbers of people each year will die without the palliative and end‑of‑life care they need.
You can support this work by contacting your MP directly to raise this issue. It's quick and easy to do with our template.