With the passing of the Assisted Dying Bill through the House of Commons on 20th June, we recognise the significance of this moment, not only in law, but in how we talk about, prepare for, and support people at the end of life.
At End of Life Doula UK, we support choice, compassion, and agency at the end of life. We work closely with individuals and those important to them as they navigate the end of life in all its equal complexity and simplicity, and we see how people’s experiences are shaped not just by personal wishes, but also by the quality and availability of support. We remain neutral on assisted dying which allows our members to offer support without judgment, respecting each person’s choices and circumstances. It also recognises the diversity of views within our membership, and we are committed to upholding our members’ right to decide whether to support someone through an assisted death.
We join the call for better resourcing of palliative and end-of-life care services. At the same time, we recognise that clinical services are only one part of what is needed for someone to have the best end of life possible. We also call for the recognition, strengthening, and proper resourcing of community approaches in line with compassionate community models – support networks that include friends, family, neighbours, and community organisations, which play a central role in how people live, care, die, and grieve.
The passing of this bill also draws attention to a gap in public understanding. A core part of our mission is to increase understanding of ‘ordinary’ dying. We believe that when people have the chance to understand what the human dying process looks and feels like, they can approach it with less fear and more confidence – whether they are dying themselves or supporting someone who is. While it is of course true that there are heartbreaking occasions when people die in pain or with traumatic symptoms, the vast majority of deaths we witness in our work are peaceful and follow a recognisable process – one we believe everyone can, and should, understand.
As this bill moves into the next stages, we urge the government and the House of Lords to engage meaningfully with people who work closely with the dying, including end of life doulas, so that real-life experiences – including the stories of ordinary dying which don’t make it into the media – inform the development of guidance and policy.
