The House of Commons has once again said no this Friday to a bill on assisted dying for patients with terminal illnesses, despite the fact that a practically identical initiative had passed in the first instance last year and ended up falling through as it was not put to a vote in the House of Lords.
The proposal, rejected this time by a narrow margin of 286 votes against and 270 in favor, contemplated that a person with a terminal illness could end their life under a series of strict conditions. Among them was the obligation to have lived in England or Wales for at least twelve months, to submit two written requests while fully in control of their mental faculties, and to demonstrate to two independent doctors that all requirements were met, with a minimum interval of seven days between each evaluation.
The initiative, promoted by Labour MP Lauren Edwards, opened the door for those with a life expectancy of less than six months to access, always under medical supervision, a lethal substance that the patient themselves had to self-administer, as reported by the BBC.
This is the second attempt to change the current legislation in the United Kingdom. Last year, MPs already supported an identical text also pushed by Edwards, but the process was blocked after more than 1,200 amendments were registered and the project did not reach timely debate in the House of Lords.
"It is an enormously disappointing outcome, not for me, but for the thousands of people with terminal illnesses and their loved ones, who were given hope when the House of Commons voted in favor of this bill last year," lamented the MP.