Scotland's looser rules on assisted dying could lead to death tourism', say senior politicians

"Senior Scottish politicians fear there could be a risk of death tourism from terminally ill people travelling from other parts of the UK to end their lives in Scotland. A cross-party group of MSPs, including the deputy first minister, Kate Forbes, said the looser controls on eligibility written into an assisted dying bill for Scotland could attract people who are unhappy with stricter rules planned for England and Wales."

"If Kim Leadbeater's bill is passed it could take up to four years to be implemented, while Scotland's measures may come into force several years earlier. The policies for England and Wales, which are being examined in the Lords, stipulate someone must be within six months of death. Concerns about death tourism were raised by Dr Claudia Carr, an expert on medical ethics at the University of Hertfordshire's law school."

Senior Scottish politicians and MSPs warn that the assisted dying bill in Scotland could prompt terminally ill people from other UK regions to travel to Scotland to end their lives. The Scottish bill requires at least one year of residence and an advanced, progressive, incurable condition but places no time-to-death limit. Proposed policies for England and Wales require someone to be within six months of death. Implementation timelines differ: the England and Wales bill could take up to four years, while Scotland's measures may be enacted several years earlier. Medical ethics experts and MSPs have raised concerns and plan challenges to the bill's provisions.

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