As the UK Parliament considers the controversial Assisted Dying Bill, which would allow terminally ill adults with fewer than six months to live to legally request medical assistance to end their lives, hospices across the country have found themselves at the center of a heated ethical and practical debate. While most hospices maintain a neutral stance on whether assisted dying should be legalized, they are united in expressing deep concern about the current state of palliative care and the wider implications such legislation could have on end-of-life services.
Hospice UK, the national body representing over 200 hospices, has warned that the existing palliative care system is already under considerable strain, with around 100,000 people each year unable to access the care they need at the end of life. Most hospices receive only about one-third of their funding from the government, relying heavily on donations and charitable fundraising to operate. This financial instability has resulted in growing pressures on services, with some hospices forced to cut staff, reduce capacity, or even close beds.
Hospice leaders have expressed concern that legalizing assisted dying without simultaneously investing in palliative care risks creating a two-tier system where vulnerable individuals might choose assisted dying out of desperation rather than genuine autonomy. They argue that no one should feel compelled to end their life due to a lack of access to high-quality, compassionate end-of-life care. This, they say, is especially critical in regions where palliative care options are limited or non-existent.
Some individual hospices, such as St Giles Hospice in Lichfield, have specifically cautioned that introducing assisted dying could divert attention and resources from already overstretched frontline services. Moreover, ethical questions persist within the hospice community. There are real concerns about how hospices, especially those with staff who object to assisted dying on moral, ethical, or religious grounds, would navigate the operational and emotional challenges posed by such a law. The Church of England has also raised alarms about the potential conflict between hospice missions and the expectations of a new legal framework.
As the bill continues to generate public debate, hospices are calling for a comprehensive and well-funded national strategy on end-of-life care. They stress that any legislative changes around assisted dying must be accompanied by strong commitments to improving access to palliative care, ensuring that every person has the dignity and support they deserve in their final days, regardless of their personal choices.
