Over 250 Welsh healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, and allied workers, have united under “Our Duty of Care” to urge the Senedd to reject a Legislative Consent Motion (LCM) for Westminster’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. In an open letter released on January 12, 2026, the group warns that the legislation endangers vulnerable patients, undermines Wales’ devolved health powers, and serves as a poor substitute for underfunded palliative care.
The Bill, which would permit assisted dying for terminally ill adults with less than six months to live in England and Wales, faces scrutiny in the House of Lords with over 1,000 amendments—a record for a private member’s bill. For Wales, Senedd approval is required due to devolved health implications. Signatories, including former Chief Medical Officer Dame Deirdre Hine and professors in palliative medicine, highlight severe flaws: inadequate hospice access in a quarter of Wales, conflicts with the Welsh Government’s Suicide Prevention Plan (2025–2028), and risks of normalising suicide amid poverty or disability.
They decry “Henry VIII” clauses allowing UK ministers to override Welsh regulations, plus cross-border chaos affecting thousands of patients. Dr Victoria Wheatley, a palliative care consultant, stated: “People living in a quarter of Wales cannot access a hospice bed. That means they lack real choice. Funding a state-sponsored suicide service without first ensuring comprehensive palliative care is not the right approach.”
Dr Sarah Davies added: “This vote concerns the details of how the legislation will operate in Wales. It is not a general vote on the ethics of assisted suicide.”This letter is a vital defense of life’s sanctity against progressive overreach, prioritizing investment in hospices, psychological support, and pain management over euthanasia.
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