Assisted dying: England and Wales rollout could be delayed as Isle of Man pushes ahead

The timeline for the proposed introduction of assisted dying in England and Wales could be pushed back to four years, raising fears among supporters that its introduction may be abandoned altogether.

An amendment approved by the Commons committee scrutinising the bill came as the Isle of Man took its final step to legalise assisted dying, the first area of the British Isles to do so. The Isle of Man Assisted Dying Bill 2023 will now be sent for royal assent before an implementation period begins, with assisted dying potentially available to terminally ill residents from 2027.

The deferral in England and Wales was proposed by Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP behind the private member’s bill. She proposed the amendment to change the maximum implementation period from two to four years after consulting with civil servants, who advised that more time would be needed …