The incoming Archbishop of Canterbury has issued a stark warning that proposed new assisted dying legislation is 'unsafe' and could pressure vulnerable cancer patients into choosing death over potentially life-extending treatment.
A Warning from a Former Nurse
Dame Sarah Mullally, the current Bishop of London and a former nurse, raised her profound concerns in an interview for BBC Radio 4's Today programme. She emphasised that people's decisions could be dangerously swayed by the inadequate state of palliative and social care in the UK. Dame Sarah, who will become the first woman to lead the worldwide Anglican communion in January, argued that without proper funding for these services, individuals might opt for assisted dying not from genuine choice, but from a lack of viable, well-supported alternatives.
Core Fears Over Inequality and Safeguards
The Archbishop-elect highlighted a specific anxiety regarding societal inequality. 'I have a worry that there is a whole group of people who haven't had choice in life,' she stated, pointing out that those from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to suffer from late cancer diagnoses and poorer outcomes. Her fear is that this group might be presented with options and, influenced by others' value judgements, feel that assisted dying is the expected path instead of fighting for life with treatments like chemotherapy.
Furthermore, Dame Sarah criticised the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill for its lack of robust safeguards to prevent people who are not terminally ill from being helped to die. She expressed deep scepticism that amendments could rectify this fundamental flaw, stating plainly: 'I'm not sure any amendments will make it safe.'
The Legislative Journey and Wider Context
The controversial bill, sponsored by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, passed its second reading in the House of Commons in June by a majority of 23 votes, paving the way for assisted dying to become legal in England and Wales. However, it must still clear the House of Lords and achieve final approval before the current parliamentary session ends in spring.
Criticism has mounted since the Commons vote, with peers tabling hundreds of amendments to address perceived flaws in the draft legislation. Dame Sarah's intervention adds significant moral weight to this debate. In her Christmas address, she noted that the law and its 'complexities' were challenging 'our understanding of what it means to live and die well'.
Dame Sarah made history in October when she was named as the successor to Justin Welby, who formally resigned in early January. She was elected as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury in a ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral in November and will be legally confirmed in the role this month.
