Assisted dying would need approval from two doctors and a judge
The assisted dying bill, officially known as the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, has been published in full, ITV News UK Editor Paul Brand reports
Terminally ill people with less than six months left to live would need two doctors and a high court judge to sign off their assisted death, if a law legalising the procedure is passed.
The assisted dying bill - officially known as the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - was published in full on Monday night, detailing the process and safeguards being proposed.
The private members' bill brought by Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater MP would only apply to adults in England and Wales who have full mental capacity.
They would need to declare twice in writing that they wanted to be helped to die.
Their wishes would then be taken into consideration by two independent doctors, who would send their decision to a high court judge for final approval.
The bill would not apply to those with disabilities or mental illness, unless they also had a terminal diagnosis.
A patient would have to self-administer their own death and the bill would make it illegal to pressurise anyone into dying.
Outlining the bill, Ms Leadbeater told ITV News: "I hope people will feel reassured by the bill, and that it will encourage them that we are in a position now to change the law - and have those conversations about some of the wider issues, about palliative care, around the rights of disabled people, around the state of the NHS.
"But at the heart of this are the rights of terminally ill people to have choice at the end of life. So, whilst there are many subjects that we need to talk about, it is those people who we need to be thinking about - and who I think about in my deliberations around the bill."
'At the heart of this are the right of terminally ill people' Kim Leadbeater MP tells ITV News UK Editor Paul Brand
Asked if she is confident that the bill will pass, Ms Leadbeater told me: "I think there are a range of views in the government and within parliament.
"The prime minister has been clear where he stands, particularly given his experience as the director of public prosecutions.
"Hopefully people will read the bill, but also have a look at the status quo."
However, Wes Streeting recently said that he would vote against the assisted dying bill despite having backed the idea when parliament last voted in 2015.
The health secretary admitted last month that he worries “about those people who think they’ve almost got a duty to die to relieve the burden on their loved ones”.
Nathaniel Dye is 38. He campaigned for his local MP, Mr Streeting at the last election but respectfully disagrees with his stance on assisted dying.
Nathaniel was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer two years ago, and it has recently spread to his brain.
On the list of things he'd still like to achieve, is a good death.
"I might have the most horrific death, and I've caught a glimpse of that," He tells me.
"If there is that shred of hope that I could do anything more with my life, then I will grab onto it. I keep offering my arm for chemotherapy, no matter how horrible or humbling it is.
'Having the option of assisted dying would bring me comfort,' Nathaniel Dye tells ITV News UK Editor Paul Brand
"I keep doing everything I can, I go out running every day that I can, because I want to make myself that little bit better to survive that little bit longer.
"It's only at the very, very end - when my life is essentially over - that I could even imagine taking the option of assisted dying. But it would just bring me comfort," he added.
Nathaniel is expecting to have brain surgery in the coming weeks to try and reduce one of his tumours.
He is determined to live as long as possible. Perhaps even long enough for the law to change and provide him with a good death.
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