New data provided by polling commissioned by Care Not Killing shows that an overwhelming majority of the public support calls for a Royal Commission to be established to look at palliative and end-of-life care before Parliament even debates assisted dying/suicide. In total, 70% of the public supported the proposal for a Royal Commission. Once 'don't knows' were excluded, that figure rose to 81 percent.
Rachel Maskell MP proposed that a Royal Commission be established as a result of the pressures being faced by hospices and in the provision of generalist palliative care which sees 1 in 4 people with cancer not getting all their palliative care needs met as they approach the end of life. There is a real risk that if assisted suicide is legalised, that people will feel under pressure to end their lives prematurely because they can't get access to appropriate palliative and end-of life care. The Health Secretary, Wes Streeting MP, recently made this point when he said:
"I do not think that palliative care, end-of-life care in this country is in a condition yet where we are giving people the freedom to choose without being coerced by the lack of support available."
The polling also shows that 51 percent of people agree with the statement that "assisted dying inevitably discriminates against the poor who cannot afford comfortable end-of-life living. Additionally, 53 percent of people are unconfident that the Government will be able to pay for their end-of-life care in the future.
This polling comes shortly after the release of a report from the Coroner in Ontario which detailed how poor and marginalised groups were being disproportionately affected by Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying Law. Dr Ramona Coelho who sits on the Coroner's review committee recently gave evidence to the Scottish Parliament's Health, Social Care and Sport Committee highlighting these concerns.
Focaldata surveyed a nationally representative sample of 5,033 GB adults on 6 to 11 November 2024. Data was weighted to be representative of all adults. Focaldata is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.
