Faith leaders speak out against Assisted Dying Bill

Leaders of the Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh faiths in Essex and East London have joined together to champion the benefits of supportive (or "palliative") care for people living with terminal illnesses and their families.

Supportive care helps people to make the most of every moment they have and achieve their personal goals. Each person has unique physical, emotional and spiritual needs and every individual is treated as a whole person. The highest value is placed on respect, choice and empowerment. Supportive care includes hospice care and community care.

Supportive care means pain control, symptom relief and skilled nursing, together support. A team of professionals works together to help the patient and their family with a full range of additional services - counselling, complementary therapies, spiritual care, creative activities, physiotherapy and bereavement

The Roman Catholic Bishop of Brentwood, The Rt Revd Thomas McMahon said: "It is vitally important to act now to safeguard, develop and fund supportive care services for people living with terminal illness and their families."

The Anglican Bishop of Chelmsford, The Rt Revd John Gladwin, added: It's not just about buildings but the care provided by hospices, Macmillan nurses and district nurses in people's homes and day care facilities. In addition we want to encourage policy makers to bring the valuable experience of supportive care into mainstream healthcare provision."

The faith leaders have also spoken out against the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill, a private member's bill which promotes doctor-assisted suicide. Bishop John said: "This is a bad bill and it should be opposed on principle. It is bad in terms of the needs of those who are dying and for forsaking the principles of medical care and human life that we have long held dear."

The Revd Charles Masheder, a trustee of St Clare Hospice at Hastingwood near Harlow, said the government only contributes between a quarter and a third of hospice costs. Hospice services are normally run by local charities and a commitment is needed from government that more supportve funding frameworks will be put in place.

The Jewish, Muslim and Sikh faiths were represented by Rabbi David Hulbert of Bet Tikvah and Sukkat Synoagogues in Redbridge, Dr Ghayasuddin Siddiqui, Head of the Muslim Parliament of Great Britain, and Mr Harmander Singh, Principal Advisor to Sikhs in England.

Faith leaders saying it with sunflowers, the emblem of the hospice movement

For further details please go to www.chelmsford.anglican.org/supportivecare.

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