Doctors are no longer opposed to a change in the law to legalise assisted dying.
The professional membership body for GPs yesterday formally moved its position on the controversial subject to ‘neutral’.
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) confirmed the decision after a consultation with its members and a decision by its council.
It had adopted a position of opposition in 2005 and had held that stance since then.
The change comes as MPs in England and Wales consider legislation which could see assisted dying legalised in the two nations.
Around six in ten (61 per cent) of the college’s council voted for a move to a position of neither supporting nor opposing legalising assisted dying.
Almost four in ten (39 per cent) voted to maintain the position of opposition. This followed a non-binding survey of 8,779 GPs and GP registrars, which saw a third (33.7 per cent) state that the college should support assisted dying being legalised.
Around one in ten (13.6 per cent) favoured a position of neutrality, while just under half (47.6 per cent) said the opposition stance should remain.
Kim Leadbeater reacts after the bill was passed on November 29, 2024
Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chairman of the RCGP, which has formally moved its position to ‘neutral’
The decision on the new stance was taken by the council, which has 64 voting members, rather than the college’s membership.
No council members voted to move to a position of supporting legalising assisted dying, the RCGP said.
The consultation results showed ‘widely differing and strongly-held views about assisted dying’, said RCGP chairman Professor Kamila Hawthorne.
Professor Hawthorne added: ‘This is a highly sensitive personal, societal and legislative issue, and we need to be in a position to represent the views of all of our members and patients; shifting to a position of neither opposing nor supporting assisted dying being legal will allow us to do this best.’
Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP behind the assisted dying Bill, said: ‘The decision by the Royal College of GPs to drop its opposition to offering the choice of an assisted death to terminally ill adults is welcome and reflects the many conversations I have had with GPs during the progress of this Bill.’
A vote is expected on the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill in the coming weeks.