An update on assisted dying legislation in Westminster and the Scottish Parliament

Last November, the Westminster Parliament voted in favour of considering a proposed law on assisted dying for terminally ill adults in England and Wales. Read our previous news story on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) bill.

Assisted dying legislation is also progressing in the Scottish Parliament. The two bills are separate and there are important differences between them. What happens to a bill in one parliament has no direct influence on what happens to the other.

This article provides a summary of all you need to know about the bills in Westminster and the Scottish Parliament, and the next steps.

What we think

Our position on assisted dying remains neutral. We recognise that there are a variety of views on this issue among our members and the wider Parkinson's community. We are not campaigning for or against these bills.

What you need to know about the bill in Westminster

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in the Westminster Parliament, if passed with the current proposed safeguards, would not legalise assisted dying for people with Parkinson's as a result of their condition alone. 

This is because the bill would apply only to people over 18 living in England or Wales, who have two independent doctors who confirm that they are expected to die within six months. 

It is very unusual for doctors to predict exactly how long a person with Parkinson's might live when they are reaching the end of their life.

Since November 2024, MPs in the House of Commons have been debating changes (or amendments) to the bill. Some of them have been included, while others have been rejected. 

For example, the need for court approval of assisted dying was removed and replaced in the updated bill with multidisciplinary Assisted Dying Review Panels, made up of a senior legal figure, a consultant psychiatrist, and a social worker. 

The purpose of these panels would be to determine that a person is terminally ill and has capacity to make the decision to end their own life, among other things.

MPs voted in favour of the bill on 20 June 2025, by a majority of 23 votes. This was a ‘free’ or ‘conscience’ vote, meaning MPs were free to vote as they wished rather than along party lines. The government is neutral on the bill. 

The bill will now be considered through the five stages in the House of Lords, where further changes can be made.

Both the House of Commons and the House of Lords will ultimately need to agree on the exact wording of the bill for it to become law. 

The vote in the House of Commons on 20 June 2025 means that it is very likely that the final bill will become law in England and Wales.

What you need to know about the assisted dying legislation in Scotland

The Scottish Parliament voted in favour of the principles of the Assisted Dying for Terminally ill Adults (Scotland) Bill on 13 May 2025. This means that it is very likely to become law in Scotland.

This bill is completely separate from the Westminster bill, which only applies to people in England and Wales. Although the bills are on the same topic, they have developed independently of each other and are very different in almost every respect.

For example, there are differences in terms of who is eligible, the process to be followed, requirements to assess capacity, the definition of assistance, the terms under which a professional can refuse to participate and oversight of the law. 

You can read more about this on the Scottish Parliament website.

The next step is for the Scottish Parliament Health, Social Care and Sport Committee to consider and agree on any proposed changes (‘amendments’) to the legislation. There may be quite significant changes to the current draft bill.

Then there will be a final line-by-line vote by the whole of the Parliament, which can also consider amendments.

If the bill passes through these stages, it will become law.

Read more about what is happening in Scotland here. 

We will continue to monitor and keep our community informed about the progress of the bills in Westminster and the Scottish Parliament.