Assisted Dying debate returns to the Commons, but what to expect? We asked a Herts expert
The Third Reading of the bill is expected today
Last updated 13th Jun 2025
The Assisted Dying Bill returns to the Commons today, set to be debated on in its Third Reading.
The Bill has proved controversial, and continues to fuel debate further than MPs, who will be the ones casting a vote.
Earlier this week, a letter signed by 1,000 doctors opposing the Assisted Dying Bill reignited opposition, bringing another element of concern to the forefront.
The letter, which calls the bill "unsafe", added fresh urgency to discussions that have continued since the bill passed its second reading with a majority of 55.
While some see the bill as a step toward giving patients greater autonomy at the end of life, others raise concerns about potential unintended consequences—particularly for vulnerable individuals and the medical workforce.
Dr Claudia Carr, Principal Lecturer in Law and Medical Ethics at Hertfordshire Law School, said: "I think the closer to the vote we get, the more heat is added back into the argument.
"There are multiple concerns and multiple worries and also a real move to try and persuade MPs to vote against the bill.
"They clearly have genuine concerns, which probably includes compassionate burnout, but until the people who oppose this bill are more specific about what it means as a threat to the medical workforce, I don't think we can really take that argument with any degree of sincerity.
"I'm not saying it's not valid, but what I am saying is—what precisely do they mean?"
Opinion in the medical community has been divided, with the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) also expressing concern, but some MPs who are doctors are among the Bill's strongest supporters.
The RCP said it believes there are "concerning deficiencies" with the proposed legislation.
A number of psychiatrists have also expressed their support for the assisted dying Bill, voicing concern and distancing themselves from the opposition stance taken by their professional medical body.
Last month, in what was branded by one assisted dying Bill opponent as a "blow to its foundations", the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) announced it has "serious concerns" and cannot support the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in its current form.
The college, which remains neutral on the principle of assisted dying, said it has "unanswered questions" about the safeguarding of people with mental illness and warned of a shortage of consultant psychiatrists to meet the demands of a Bill which would currently require a psychiatrist to sit on a panel to assess a terminally ill person's application.
RCPsych president Dr Lade Smith said there had been "extensive engagement with our members" before reaching a conclusion that it is not confident in the Bill in its current form.
But seven RCPsych members, including a former college president and vice-president, have now written to MPs to voice their backing for the Bill.
On broader implications for healthcare and legal systems, Dr Carr highlighted the proposal for an expert panel—including a judge, psychiatrist, and social worker—as a robust safeguard, saying that "the issue of coercive control is one that is brought up often by opponents of the bill", so the role of the panel "is likely to be enough to investigate that".
She added that all points raised deserve to be heard: "Every argument is a valid argument. I don't think any voice that says ‘we are concerned about this’ is a voice that should be ignored."
If the bill progresses through Friday’s vote, it will move to the House of Lords, where Dr Carr anticipates “further amendments” and “more fine tuning.” However, she cautioned that there is still a possibility the bill could be rejected altogether.