Assisted dying bill is unsafe, says incoming Archbishop of Canterbury

Dame Sarah Mullally, the incoming Archbishop of Canterbury, said the assisted dying bill is unsafe and lacks sufficient safeguards; the bill still needs agreement from both the Commons and the Lords before the parliamentary session ends in spring.

Dame Sarah Mullally, the incoming Archbishop of Canterbury, has warned that the assisted dying bill is unsafe because it lacks sufficient safeguards. She spoke about the issue on BBC Radio 4's Today programme and framed her view from experience as a former nurse. She said she was concerned that inadequate palliative and social care and broader inequality could influence people's decisions. MPs previously backed the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in June, and peers have since tabled amendments. What is known: - Dame Sarah Mullally, who will become the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury and is due to take office in January, said the bill is "unsafe" and that she has a principled view against assisted dying. - She said her worries include people choosing assisted dying because they do not have adequate palliative care or social care, and that inequality could make some more vulnerable to that option. - MPs backed the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in June, and peers have tabled hundreds of amendments aimed at addressing drafting concerns. - The bill would allow adults in England and Wales estimated to have fewer than six months to live to receive help to die, and it will become law only if both the House of Commons and the House of Lords agree on the final drafting. Summary: Dame Sarah Mullally has warned the assisted dying bill is unsafe, citing insufficient safeguards and concerns about the influence of poor palliative and social care. The bill has parliamentary progress but must secure agreement in both Houses before the current parliamentary session ends in spring.