Letter to constituents
Letter to constituents

Paulette has outlined her reasons for voting against the Assisted Dying Bill in a letter to her constituents.

Dear constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about assisted dying. This is a complex and emotive issue with strongly held ethical and moral views on both sides.

As a former NHS nurse, I have dedicated many years to caring for others, firmly believing in the value of every life. I am therefore deeply concerned by the proposed change in law. I believe that assisted dying should not become an alternative to high-quality palliative and end-of-life care. People deserve dignity in dying and should feel reassured and safe, knowing they will receive the very best care in their final days. The NHS was created to support everyone from birth to death, but years of chronic underfunding has impacted care, particularly palliative care. As such, hospices, such as Birmingham Hospice, heavily rely on charitable funding for this vital service.

That is why I decided to vote against the Bill at its second reading in Parliament last week. I note that the Bill will need to be further scrutinised by MPs, with amendments considered, in the coming months, before a final vote is held on whether to approve the Bill. It will also need to pass the House of Lords. I welcome that the House of Commons unanimously agreed that the Committee of MPs examining the Bill can take evidence, with supporters and opponents of the draft law able to submit their views. There will, therefore, be extensive opportunities for this matter to be properly debated, as it should be.

In the meantime, I will continue to support calls for wider access to improved palliative care. I am already working closely with the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Hospices, Hospice UK, Birmingham Hospice and the Chief Executive of NHS Birmingham & Solihull Integrated Care Board to raise these matters with the Government.

Thank you once again for contacting me about this important issue. Please don’t hesitate to get back in touch if I can be of assistance with this, or any other matter.

Best wishes,

Paulette Hamilton MP

You can also watch her speech in Parliament below.

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