‘Assisted dying’ could come at expense of other NHS services, says UK health Secretary

The UK’s Health Secretary Wes Streeting has ordered a costing to the NHS of implementing any new ‘assisted dying’ law.

Mr Streeting has announced his plans to vote against the Bill when it is debated in Parliament later this month.

He said he asked his department to look at “the costs that would be associated with providing a new service to enable assisted dying to go forward”.

Referencing a “chilling slippery slope argument”, he said he would “hate for people to opt for assisted dying because they think they’re saving someone somewhere … money, whether that’s relatives or the NHS.”

Speaking to ITV News earlier, the cabinet minister said: “I’m voting against assisted dying. I’ve got practical concerns about the Bill.”