Commenting after the 148-100 vote to reject the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill today in the Lords, Dr Peter Saunders, CNK Campaign Director, said:

"This has been a great day for those campaigning to halt any move towards the legalisation of euthanasia in the United Kingdom. A grassroots, broad-based alliance of groups of doctors, nurses, charities campaigning for the disabled and faith leaders has prevailed today and succeeded in highlighting the threat posed by the introduction of Lord Joffe's Bill. We believe we have brought home to peers and to the wider public that physician-assisted suicide is a slippery slope to the introduction of full-blown euthanasia.

"Our central point has been that the so-called right to die could so easily become a duty to die for old, sick, depressed and vulnerable patients. That point has been transmitted to a wider audience today, so enabling more people to appreciate the dangers inherent in Lord Joffe's Bill.

"But the campaign does not end here. We have also campaigned for wider access to high quality palliative care for those with severe or terminal illnesses. The UK is a world leader in this area, but coverage is patchy and too dependent on charitable funding. The Government should heed our plea for much better provision of hospice care".