MPs bar health workers from raising assisted dying with children

MPs have voted to prevent health professionals such as doctors from initiating conversations with under-18s about assisted dying, as they continued scrutiny of the Terminally Ill Adults Bill.

The bill would only allow those over the age of 18, and with less than six months to live, to receive medical assistance to die in England and Wales.

Labour MP Meg Hillier, who tabled the amendment to the bill, had previously warned MPs to be alert to “the very real risk” of an assisted dying law being expanded to cover children and young people.

Her amendment was opposed by the bill’s proposer Kim Leadbeater, but approved in the House of Commons by 259 votes to 216.

In a statement, a group of Labour MPs concerned about assisted dying said the result…