Why Physician-Assisted Suicide has no place in the NHS

The UK is currently debating legislation to allow physician-assisted suicide for competent, terminally ill adults. Though not explicit, it is likely to be delivered through the NHS. International evidence shows that integrating assisted suicide and euthanasia into mainstream healthcare increases uptake and rate of growth as well as broadens eligibility criteria. In this editorial, we argue that it should not be part of the NHS, since it is not a medical treatment, lacks a robust evidence base, and fails to meet regulatory standards. The proposed framework for assessing decision-making capacity is unsuitable, and psychiatrists are not the right clinicians to be involved.