After politicians on the island rejected assisted suicide, Guernsey will review its end-of-life care, including increasing palliative support, it was announced on 18 May.
Deputies on the island comprehensively voted against looking into legalising assisted suicide, after a passionate three-day debate. Ahead of the vote, former Paralympic star Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson had warned that such a move risked making disabled people ‘collateral damage’.
Deputies voted 26-11, 24-14 and 22-16 against a series of pro-assisted suicide proposals. However, a bid to investigate ‘measures necessary to improve quality of life and health outcomes for all islanders towards the end of their lives’ was passed by 37-1. Pro-life campaigners rejoiced at the news, while supporters of assisted suicide said they would return in years to come.
