Welsh Senedd Backs Framework for Assisted Dying Services on NHS

Senedd Approves Assisted Dying Implementation Framework

The Welsh Senedd has voted to support a Legislative Consent Motion (LCM) related to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, a significant step towards potentially allowing assisted dying services to be provided on the Welsh NHS. The vote, held on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, saw 28 Members of the Senedd (MSs) vote in favour, 23 against, and two abstentions.

This decision does not, in itself, legalize assisted dying in Wales. Instead, it grants Welsh ministers the authority to design and oversee how such services would be implemented within the Welsh healthcare system, including the NHS Wales, if the overarching legislation passes through the UK Parliament.

The Westminster Bill and its Progress

The Legislative Consent Motion in the Senedd pertains to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, a private member's bill introduced in the UK Parliament by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater. This bill aims to enable terminally ill adults in both England and Wales to request medical assistance to end their lives, provided they meet strict safeguards.

Currently, the bill is undergoing scrutiny in the House of Lords. However, its future remains uncertain, with concerns that a substantial number of proposed amendments, reportedly over 1,000, could prevent its passage before the end of the current parliamentary session in May. Should this occur, the bill would need to be reintroduced in a subsequent session.

Implications for Welsh Healthcare

The Senedd's vote is crucial for ensuring that Wales can tailor any future assisted dying framework to its specific needs, values, language, and healthcare structures. Without the powers outlined in the LCM, if the Westminster bill were to become law, assisted dying services in Wales might only be available through private providers, or patients could be compelled to travel to England to access them.

Welsh Health Secretary Jeremy Miles emphasized that the vote was not a 'referendum on legalising assisted dying in Wales,' but rather about the Senedd's ability to oversee and regulate such services if the law changes at Westminster.

Context and Reactions

The Senedd had previously rejected the principle of assisted dying in October 2024 and also in 2014. This recent vote, however, focused specifically on the procedural aspects of implementation rather than the ethical principle itself.

Public opinion in Wales appears to be largely in favour of assisted dying. A recent poll commissioned by Dignity in Dying indicated that 72% of Welsh adults support its legalization, with 76% believing it should be legal in Wales if it is in England, and 62% advocating for its delivery through NHS Wales. Organizations such as Humanists UK and My Death, My Decision have welcomed the Senedd's decision, while groups like Right To Life UK expressed opposition, referencing the Senedd's prior stance against assisted suicide.