Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Debate between Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown and Baroness Coffey

Committee stage
Friday 23rd January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (DUP)]

That is very helpful, and I trust the noble Lord, who is now nodding, will take that into consideration.

[Baroness Coffey (Con)]

The points that the two other noble Lords have made are due to guidance in 2020 which was put in place only as a consequence of the 2015 ruling by the Supreme Court which we discussed earlier. The guidance before 2020 was not what is being said now, and that is part of my point about putting this in the Bill.

[Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (DUP)]

I thank the noble Baroness. I realise that my time is up, but I draw to a close by asking noble Lords to notice the emphasis on GMC guidance. Guidance is not the law. The GMC itself states in its preamble that its guidance is intended to help doctors

“practise ethically and in line with law”—

it cannot make the law. It goes on:

“If you’re not sure how the law applies in a given situation, seek advice through local procedures, consult your defence body or professional association, or seek independent legal advice”.


It says finally:

“The professional standards describe good practice, and not every departure from them will be considered serious”.


That is equally true for NICE guidance as well.