The UK’s professional membership body for GPs is no longer formally opposed to a change in the law to legalise assisted dying.
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) confirmed that, after a consultation with its members and a decision by its council, it has moved to a position of neutrality – neither opposing nor supporting a change in the law.
It had adopted a position of opposition in 2005 and held that stance since then.
The change in position comes as MPs in England and Wales consider legislation which could see assisted dying legalised in the two nations.
Around six in 10 (61%) of the college’s council voted for a move to a position of neither supporting nor opposing legalising assisted dying.
Almost four in 10 (39%) voted to maintain the position of opposition.
This followed a non-binding survey of 8,779 GPs and GP Registrars, which saw a third (33.7%) state that the college should support assisted dying being legalised.
Around one in 10 (13.6%) favoured a position of neutrality, while just under half (47.6%) said the opposition stance should remain.
The decision on the new stance was taken by the council, which has 64 voting members, rather than the college’s membership.
The change in position comes as MPs consider a change to legislation in England and Wales (Alamy/PA)
No council members voted to move to a position of supporting legalising assisted dying, the RCGP said.
The college has some 53,539 members across the UK, meaning the consultation, which was used to inform the council’s decision, had around a 16% response rate.
The consultation results showed “widely differing and strongly-held views about assisted dying”, said RCGP chairwoman Professor Kamila Hawthorne.
She said: “Today’s discussion and our recent survey of our members have clearly shown that GPs have widely differing and strongly-held views about assisted dying – we care deeply about our patients.
“This is a highly sensitive personal, societal and legislative issue, and we need to be in a position to represent the views of all of our members and patients; shifting to a position of neither opposing nor supporting assisted dying being legal will allow us to do this best.
“Neither opposing nor supporting assisted dying does not mean we will be stepping back from the debate. Our focus will be on advocating for our members, regardless of their views on assisted dying, as to how potential changes in the law will impact on their daily practice and the care they deliver for patients.”
Dr Gordon Macdonald, chief executive of campaign group Care Not Killing, said the change in stance was “disappointing, but unsurprising as doctors’ groups continue to wrestle with how to respond to multiple attempts to introduce assisted suicide and euthanasia in the UK”.
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The Royal College of Nursing’s governing council voted in 2009 to move to a neutral stance on assisted dying for terminally-ill people while doctors’ union the BMA shifted from a position against assisted dying to one of neutrality in 2021.
A committee of 23 MPs is undertaking line-by-line scrutiny of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill before it returns to the House of Commons – most likely towards the end of April – for further debate and a vote.
Meanwhile, a vote is expected on the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill in the coming weeks at Holyrood.