Kim Leadbeater has hit back at criticism from the Royal College of Psychiatrists over the assisted dying bill and said there had been no drop-off in support for it among MPs before a vote on Friday.
The Labour MP said it was “misleading” to say RCPsych had pulled its support and that there were enough psychiatrists who backed the change to mean “it wouldn’t be an issue to get psychiatrists to engage” in the process.
RCPsych set out nine reasons it would not back Leadbeater’s bill in its current form on Thursday, including a lack of resource and clarity over psychiatrists’ role in assisted dying panels. The college said it remained neutral on the principle of assisted dying.
The intervention is significant because under the bill’s current stipulations a panel of experts including a psychiatrist would oversee assisted dying cases.
Speaking to LBC radio, Leadbeater said it was “not accurate” to say the college had pulled its support and that the last survey of its members indicated 45% supported a change in the law and 45% opposed it. She argued this meant “it wouldn’t be an issue to get psychiatrists to engage” in the panels to approve assisted dying requests.
“Anybody with a mental health condition is excluded from eligibility within the bill, we’re talking about people who have a six-month terminal diagnosis only. And if there’s any doubts about mental capacity either one of the doctors involved in the process now has to make a compulsory referral to a psychiatrist,” Leadbeater said.
“If you look at the process there are very strict safeguards around mental health conditions and around having that professional expertise and input.”
She denied the bill was losing significant numbers of supporters before the next Commons vote on Friday. Asked about reports that several MPs had switched their position to oppose the bill, Leadbeater said she was “certainly not getting that impression” from her conversations with colleagues. “There might be some move in either direction but certainly not a huge amount of movement,” she added.
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) also expressed concerns about the proposed legislation. Its clinical vice president, John Dean, said, said “the bill in its current form has concerning deficiencies.
“Notably, the proposed mechanisms of decision-making are not in line with good clinical and professional practice,” Dean said. “Further statutory guidance is also required to ensure effective regulation of drugs, providers, and the involvement of clinicians. Parliament must address these critical issues in the legislation or risk failing to protect vulnerable patients and uphold the integrity of clinical practice.” The RCP remains neutral on the principle of assisted dying.
Speaking to broadcasters, Keir Starmer indicated that his support for assisted dying had not changed. During a visit to Albania, the prime minister reiterated that the government was neutral on the bill but added: “What I would say is that from my own experience in this field, I dealt with it when I was the chief prosecutor, is that I do understand there are different views, strongly held views on both sides that have to be respected.”
Pressed for his current opinion, Starmer, who in the past has been a vocal backer of a change in the law, replied: “My views have been consistent throughout.”
The Guardian reported this week that at least five MPs who previously abstained on the assisted dying bill had decided to vote against it at its next stage. MPs will debate amendments to the bill on Friday with votes likely on some key proposed changes. Starmer will not be present because he is attending a European Political Community summit in Albania.
Lade Smith, the RCPsych president, said this week that it was “integral to a psychiatrist’s role to consider how people’s unmet needs affect their desire to live”.
“The bill, as proposed, does not honour this role, or require other clinicians involved in the process to consider whether someone’s decision to die might change with better support. We are urging MPs to look again at our concerns for this once-in-a-generation bill and prevent inadequate assisted dying/assisted suicide proposals from becoming law.”
