Media statement: St Christopher’s responds to assisted dying vote in Westminster

Following MPs vote to reject the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on Friday 11 September, St Christopher’s Hospice – the home of the modern hospice movement – is urging the Government and MPs to ensure high-quality palliative and end of life care is available to everyone who needs it. 

St Christopher’s remains neutral on whether the law should change. However, the debate has underlined a point on which the Prime Minister Andy Burnham and MPs across parties and on both sides of the argument have agreed: people approaching the end of life must have access to properly funded hospice and palliative care. 

Steve Smith, Chief Executive of St Christopher’s, says: 

“Today’s vote does not change the urgent need to improve funding for hospice and palliative care.  

“Whatever the future of the assisted dying debate, everyone approaching the end of life should be able to access high-quality care, wherever they live and regardless of their circumstances. 

“St Christopher’s remains neutral on whether the law should change, but the Government must now follow through on the cross-party recognition of the pressures facing hospices by delivering fair, sustainable and consistent funding before more services are forced to close or cut back.”