The UK’s euthanasia/assisted suicide bill will “undermine daily efforts to prevent suicide”, particularly among the elderly, leading psychiatrists have warned.

A group of 24 experts said they were also “alarmed” by the speed with which the legislation was being pushed through parliament and said that it should instead be “overwhelmingly rejected”.

They argued that the bill could put pressure on patients who were lonely or grieving, or felt like a burden, to take their own lives instead of accessing psychological or psychiatric support.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, proposed by the Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, would allow people with less than six months to be legally assisted to end their lives. The law could come into force as soon as 2027.