Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
Debate between Baroness O'Loan and Baroness Blackstone(2 days, 2 hours ago)
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Baroness O’Loan (CB)
My Lords, I will speak to Amendments 150, 156, 166 and 205, to which I have put my name, and in support of other amendments in the group.
As drafted, the Bill would permit a discussion about assisted dying with the patient before any requirement to discuss expert palliative care. The noble Baroness, Lady Blackstone, said that it would be irresponsible not to allow this. In Australia and New Zealand, doctors are not permitted to initiate such discussions.
As drafted—
Baroness Blackstone (Lab)
Doctors in Australia are now allowed to do so. The law has been changed there.
Baroness O’Loan (CB)
I accept the noble Baroness’s intervention, but they certainly thought it was a bad idea, and there is further discussion in South Australia about the issue.
If I may go on: as drafted, the Bill will permit discussion about assisted dying before discussion about palliative care. It would come as something of a shock—