End-of-life care is changing in Jersey as politicians push forward assisted dying

Jersey's politicians have spent hours debating the future of end-of-life care in Jersey before agreeing to progress with legalising assisted dying.

States Members unanimously agreed that the government should be legally obligated to ensure islanders have access to good quality end-of-life care.

That extends to both children and adults with less than a year left to live due to a terminal illness.

Future Health Ministers will have to ensure that islanders nearing the end of their life are identified and have their needs assessed, so that necessary care can be provided to them, either at home or in a care facility.

The type and standard of care will also be specified in the legislation that makes end-of-life care a statutory duty of the government.

Politicians who spoke during the debate said it would give a choice to anyone needing palliative care.

Deputy Elaine Millar said:

"This is about enabling them to not be in hospital, not be in hospice, to be at home and to achieve the goals they still have for whatever life they have."

States members then turned their attention to the Assisted Dying Law,  voting 32-14 to continue with their proposals to introduce the service to Jersey.

It would allow adult residents with a terminal illness and in unbearable suffering, with a life expectancy of six months or less, the choice to end their life with the help of a medical professional.

Charities and organisations that campaign for giving terminally ill people the option to end their lives have congratulated politicians on their decision.

CEO of Dignity in Dying, Sarah Wootton, has welcomed the progress.

"This vote marks a decisive moment for Jersey, bringing compassionate choice at the end of life within touching distance.

"States Members have now agreed the fundamental principles of a safeguarded assisted dying law, voting to respect the experiences of dying people and the clear views of the Jersey public.

"As they come to fine-tune this historic law next month, this must remain central."

Humanists UK CEO, Andrew Copson, says this vote in favour of the Draft Law represents a historic moment for Jersey and a huge step forward for compassion, dignity, and choice at the end of life.

"For far too long, terminally ill people in the UK and Crown Dependencies have been denied the right to decide the manner and timing of their own deaths.

"Jersey is now on the cusp of changing that."

Richard Osborne, Board Member of My Death, My Decision, says the debate was rooted in compassion and empathy.

"Politicians did an excellent job putting themselves in the shoes of the terminally ill, and they should be proud of the respectful debate they had.

However, Jersey's Economic Development Minister, Kirsten Morel, says he does not think Jersey is ready for a service like this yet, after experiencing the health service first hand through his mother's care.

"It is things such as the five-hour wait for a basic painkiller in the hospital that really stick in my mind.

"It is the records that never reach the care home, it's the constant chasing for assurances or the constant assurances for actual prescriptions or the constant chasing for records, or actually 'What is happening to my mother?' because no one is telling me right now.

"All of that over the last six or seven years has really led me to keep coming back to this legislation."

"It's so hard, I don't like the idea of me dying in immense pain, I don't like the idea of watching my loved ones and my friends die in immense pain; none of us do.

"That doesn't deflect me from looking at the reality of our environment today, versus what I believe is an unattainable ideal on this law here.

"We underestimate the range of possibilities coercion can stem from.

"Nowadays, coercion can come from the other side of the planet; coercion can come from that relationship you never knew your relative had with that person online on the other side of the planet."

Deputy Sir Philip Bailhache also disagrees with the introduction of the service.

"I don't believe that the State should be involved in the process.

"The duty of medical people is to preserve life or alleviate pain and suffering for those who are dying; their purpose is not to kill people."

However, Health Minister Deputy Tom Binet said in his opening statement:

"We know that not everyone is in agreement with the principle of assisted dying, as is their right, but I am confident that the decision taken by this Assembly back in 2021 to permit assisted dying in Jersey was the right decision and is supported by the majority of islanders."

In his closing speech, the Health Minister, Tom Binet, replied to the speeches shared by politicians, saying they were heartfelt, personal, emotional and difficult to deliver, and he did not think he could do them justice in summarising them.

Although, he did comment on Deputy Morel's speech.

"Unfortunately, Deputy Morel has a poor experience with the health service at a very sensitive and distressing time, something for which I am deeply sorry.

"Sadly, this has led him to conclude that our health service is of poor quality and isn't capable of delivering an assisted dying service.

"I'm genuinely sorry about Deputy Morel's personal experience. However, I must take issue with the suggestion that the service isn't capable of delivering the service because it certainly can.

"I feel a strong need to be supportive of the capable people who work in our health service and to reassure the public who may be worried unnecessarily.

Politicians will return to the assisted dying debate on 24 February, once scrutiny suggests any amendments to how the service should operate.