Health and legal experts among 73 academics to sign letter opposing ‘inadequate’ assisted dying bill

Leading academic experts in the fields of health, end-of-life care and the legal system have joined together to sign an open letter opposing the assisted dying bill which MPs are due to debate on Friday.

The bill tabled by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater would for the first time allow for the NHS to assist people to take their own lives.

Ms Leadbeater and supporters of the legislation claim the bill would to prevent the system being abused and ensure it only applied to terminally ill patients. Among these are that any requests to end life would need to be signed