MDDUS signs joint statement raising concerns over proposed changes to Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill

MDDUS has joined six other medical and healthcare membership organisations in issuing a joint consensus statement outlining significant concern about proposed changes to the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill.

The organisations take no collective position on the principle of assisted dying. However, they are united in their concern that provisions relating to ‘no duty to participate’ and conscientious objection may be removed from the Bill at Stage 3 because of the impact this could have on clinicians.

The Scottish Government has indicated that key provisions relating to ‘no duty to participate’, as well as other professional and employment protections, are not within devolved powers and may be removed from the Bill at Stage 3. These matters would instead be addressed through a Section 104 Order, subject to only limited parliamentary scrutiny.

The signatory organisations state that removing issues of such professional, ethical and legal significance risks undermining professional confidence and public trust.

The joint statement has been sent to Liam McArthur MSP, the Scottish Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, and the Secretary of State for Scotland and Chair of the House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee.

The organisations highlight four core concerns:

1. Removal of key safeguards from primary legislation
2. Risk to professional confidence and public trust
3. Inadequate scrutiny of consequential provisions
4. Implications for safe and ethical implementation

The group of organisations in consensus remain committed to working constructively with the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament to ensure any assisted dying legislation is developed transparently, rigorously and with full consideration of the clinicians it will impact.

Read a full copy of the consensus statement here

Signatory organisations:

• Association for Palliative Medicine (Scotland)
• Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland
• Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland
• Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
• Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland
• Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
• Royal Pharmaceutical Society

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