‘Many uncertainties’ over cost of introducing assisted dying, MSPs told

There are “many uncertainties” over the costs to the NHS of introducing assisted dying, Scotland’s Health Secretary has said.

Neil Gray said it was “difficult at this stage” to set out what the financial impact could be if MSPs vote later this month to change the law and allow terminally ill Scots to get help to end their life.

The issue was raised in Holyrood ahead of votes on amendments to Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur’s Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill on Tuesday March 10 – with a final vote on the controversial proposal then expected to take place on March 17.

Conservative MSP Edward Mountain, who is opposed to the legislation, said the cost of implementing assisted dying could be “tens of millions of pounds”.

He asked the Health Secretary what NHS services “would potentially be reduced to meet such costs”.

Pressing Mr Gray on the issue, the Tory MSP asked him: “What group of patients will lose out on their care to fund this Bill?”

His question came as Labour’s Michael Marra, another opponent of the Bill, said Holyrood was “about to vote on the most significant legislation of this session” but added that “fundamental details of the cost and implementation remain unclear”.

Mr McArthur, however, told them evidence from Australia, and other countries where assisted dying has been legalised, showed that it “does not lead to cuts in service”.

Liberal Democrat Liam McArthur has brought forward legislation that, if passed, would allow those with a terminal illness to seek help to die PA Media

The Lib Dem added that often such changes could come “hand in hand with increased investment in and access to palliative care”.

Stressing there is “overwhelming public support across Scotland” for allowing terminally ill people to seek help to die, Mr McArthur insisted that, when voting on the Bill, MSPs need to “actually look at what happens in practice”.

Mr Gray told Holyrood about the “challenges of accurately estimating the costs of delivering this Bill, particularly given that at this stage the Bill does not set out a model of delivery”.

He added there “remain many uncertainties as to the overall costs of the Bill”, adding that amendments could “further impact these”.

With this in mind, the Health Secretary said that “any funding reprioritisation would need to be assessed if and when the Bill passes and its final form is known”.

He stressed the Scottish Government is taking a neutral stance on the proposed legislation, saying that “ultimately this is a conscience decision for MSPs to take”.

Mr Gray added: “Parliament’s decision should be on the merits or challenges of assisted dying, rather than any other consideration.”