THE Bishop of Dudley and Acting Bishop of Worcester has called for properly funded end of life care as part of the debate around ensuring a dignified death.

The Assisted Dying Bill, currently going through Parliament, proposes legalising assisted dying for people with six months left to life on the approval of two doctors and a High Court judge.

Concerns, however, have been raised that palliative care needs to be improved before plans to legalise assisted suicide within the NHS are approved.

MPs are due to debate and vote on the Terminally Ill Adults End of Life) Bill on Friday November 29.

Ahead of the debate, the Bishop of Dudley, Martin Gorick, has aired his thoughts on the sensitive subject – citing a lack of funding for hospices as a key reason why individuals are not currently able to have a ‘good’ death and are seeking alternative options.

He said: “Hospice beds are being closed right now in the West Midlands, when the need for them is greater than ever. Hospices provide the highest quality palliative care, as well as Hospice at Home, bereavement services and other community support. However, only 20 per cent of their costs are met by the NHS. Why is that? Why do we spend billions on healthcare, yet expect the dying to find help through charity? In Worcester, St Richard’s Hospice is currently having to make staff redundant. The end result can only mean fewer patients able to benefit from their services, fewer people helped to die well, and more pressure put on hard-pressed GPs and hospitals.”

Bishop Martin has stressed the need for MPs to recognise the route to a dignified death lies in proper funding of palliative care, investment in mental health services, and the delivery of much-needed community support.

He said: “As I’ve reflected on my own experience sitting with those who are dying, the opinion of medical experts, and international evidence, I have become increasingly uncomfortable with the prospect of legalising assisted suicide. While I am deeply sympathetic to those who are afraid of a bad death, I believe that a good death is possible without taking such a step.

“I remember as a young priest, visiting a terminally ill man in his home. He was in great pain and distress and asking to die. Two days later I came back to find that he had been fitted with a morphine driver. With his pain now under control, and good palliative (end of life) care now in place, he was sitting up talking happily with his wife and grandchildren. All talk of prematurely ending his life had gone.

“I support our Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, who wants us to properly fund end of life care. We already know how to help people to die well. We don’t need parliament to pass a new law to help us to do this. But we do need proper funding.”

Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP behind the bill, has stressed the bill only applies to people given six months or less to live and that it aims to give people suffering immense pain a choice to end their lives with dignity.

MPs have been given a free vote in Friday’s debate, which means they can follow their conscience rather than party orders.