Assisted dying in the UK: please don’t ignore the impact on children and young people
2nd April 2025
Professor Lorna Fraser, Professor of Palliative Care & Child Health at the Cicely Saunders Institute, and Jonathan Downie of Children’s Hospices in Scotland, have written an editorial for BMJ Journals on the impact on children and young adults of the current assisted dying debate in the UK.
The article discusses the impact of the UK’s Leadbeater Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on children and young people, highlighting the need to consider their perspectives in the debate on assisted dying. The bill, which passed its second reading in November 2024, focuses on terminally ill adults but overlooks the potential effects on children with life-limiting conditions.
The Netherlands allows euthanasia for children aged 1-12 years, making it the only country with euthanasia across the lifespan. This model is based on “unbearable suffering with no prospect of improvement.” The UK’s Leadbeater Bill excludes children, defining adults as 16+ in Scotland and 18+ in England. This exclusion has led to children being ignored in public debates.
However, although not directly affected by the proposed legislation in the Leadbeater Bill, children with life-limiting conditions may be affected by societal messages that some lives are not worth living. Additionally the lack of appropriate services for young adults means paediatric services often care for them. The article stresses the need for improved access to palliative care in the UK.
Many children’s hospitals lack consultant-led specialist palliative care teams, and funding for these services is inadequate. There is a call for more investment in research to manage complex symptoms in children and sustainable funding for palliative care services. The article concludes that the Leadbeater Bill must acknowledge the impact on children and young people, ensuring their needs are considered in the legislation and debates surrounding assisted dying.
Fraser LK, Downie J Assisted dying in the UK: please don’t ignore the impact on children and young people Archives of Disease in Childhood Published Online First: 05 March 2025. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2024-328223