Edinburgh — As MSPs prepare for a pivotal vote on legalising assisted dying in Scotland, public sentiment is being shaped not just by ethics and ideology, but by deeply personal experiences of death, suffering, and care.
The proposed legislation — tabled by Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur — would allow terminally ill adults to seek medical assistance to end their lives, provided they are deemed mentally fit by two doctors. The bill is expected to be one of the most emotionally charged debates in the Scottish Parliament in years.
Supporters like Tricia Donoghue, a retired nurse from Glasgow, say the bill offers the possibility of a more compassionate end to life. Opponents fear the risks to vulnerable individuals could outweigh the benefits.
A Nurse’s Grief Becomes a Call for Change
Tricia Donoghue, 70, nursed her husband Kevan through an 18-month battle with a rare and aggressive bile duct cancer. She now speaks out in favour of the bill, saying the option of assisted dying would have given her husband “a better death”.
“He never had a good day,” Donoghue recalls. “He was in a lot of pain… He didn’t get the opportunity to go the way he wanted to go.”
Kevan’s decline was rapid. Initial signs of jaundice and abdominal pain escalated into a blocked bile duct, hospitalisation, and six months of suffering. Though he later returned home, his condition worsened again, leading to hospice care in his final weeks.
“The last three weeks were pretty awful. He wasn’t allowed to eat or drink. He was very alert, so I didn’t think he was actively dying. But then, just like that, he was gone.”
Donoghue says she was devastated to miss her husband’s final moments — the only time she had left his side in 18 months. Now, she believes Scots should have the right to choose how and when to die if facing terminal illness.
Broad Public Support, But Ethical Fault Lines
Polls suggest a large majority of Scots back the principles behind the bill. McArthur’s office cites surveys showing 78% of Scots support assisted dying, with even higher backing — 82% — in his Orkney constituency.
Yet the moral, legal, and practical implications of legislating assisted suicide remain deeply contested.
The bill has triggered anxieties among disability rights advocates, faith groups, and palliative care professionals, who argue the proposal could pressure vulnerable people — including the elderly, disabled, or isolated — into ending their lives prematurely out of guilt or coercion.
Opponents also warn that legal safeguards may not be sufficient to prevent abuse or misapplication, especially in an overstretched healthcare system.
What the Bill Proposes
The legislation would permit:
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Terminally ill adults to request help in dying.
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A requirement for diagnosis confirmation by two independent doctors.
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Mental capacity assessments to ensure the individual understands their decision.
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A cooling-off period before the process can proceed.
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A formal declaration made before witnesses.
The bill’s stage one vote — focusing on general principles — is expected later this year. If approved, it would move to further scrutiny and amendments before a final vote.
“A Matter of Conscience”
The Scottish Government has allowed a free vote on the bill, acknowledging it as a matter of personal conscience rather than party policy. First Minister John Swinney has not publicly stated his position since taking office, but MSPs from all parties are known to be split on the issue.
This is the third time a version of assisted dying legislation has been brought before Holyrood — previous attempts in 2005 and 2015 both failed.
However, this bill is emerging in a new political and cultural context, with strong polling, shifting public attitudes, and a rising emphasis on autonomy and dignity in end-of-life care.
Personal Stories Drive the Debate
For supporters like Donoghue, the issue is not theoretical.
“Some people have a good death and some people just don’t — even with really good hospice care,” she said. “I think robust safeguarding reduces risk — and there is a risk — but I don’t think it’s enough that we shouldn’t take the bill forward.”
Her message resonates with many families who have faced prolonged suffering in the final stages of life, even under best-practice palliative care.
For them, the assisted dying bill represents not just a legislative proposal but a moral imperative.
