The question of whether terminally ill people should have the right to end their lives is dividing lawmakers as they consider a proposed law to legalize assisted dying.

If passed, it would be a historic bill Offer this option to people who are likely to die within six months – Provided that their decision is approved by the doctors.

They have to be satisfied that the patient has been selected without any pressure or duress.

But the debate has raised questions about how terminally ill people can be protected and how coercion can be avoided – with criticism of the proposal from both Labor and Conservative politicians.

BBC News has spoken to two people who are terminally ill, Alice Burns, who supports assisted dying, and Nick Ward, who expects the bill not to pass.

Nick has motor neurone disease and says he probably would have chosen assisted dying three years ago if it had been legal.

The 53-year-old man has been told for the last five years that he is terminally ill and knows that tomorrow he could die from suffocation due to food or his own saliva.

“I’m proud of my health and fitness,” says Nick, who now uses a motorized wheelchair and breathing apparatus.

“Twenty years ago, if you’d told me I’d be in a wheelchair, I would have said ‘No buddy, it’s OK. I’ll be gone.'”

Now Nick says his perspective on life and death has changed and he is grateful to see his children grow up. His eldest daughter is about to get married.

Under the proposed law, Nick worries that other people suffering from terminal illnesses would choose assisted death and be deprived of the joys that a longer life could bring – even if they are less physically able.

The private members’ bill was put forward by Labor MP Kim Leadbeater but the highly sensitive nature of the issue has divided politicians from all major parties.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has promised that his party will be allowed to vote freely according to their conscience.

Many people suffering from terminal illnesses have said that the bill gives them hope that they will not have to experience a painful or prolonged death.

Alice Burns lives in constant pain due to terminal breast cancer that has spread to her bones, lungs and liver. He is told that he will only have two years to live.

The 50-year-old man relies on two different forms of morphine and a higher potency co-codamol to manage the pain. Some days “they don’t touch the edges”, so she can barely walk.

The pain is worst in her thigh, where a metal rod was inserted after the cancer had rotted away her thigh bone.

Ellis says the pain will get worse as her body becomes more tolerant to painkillers – making them less effective.

“I’m not afraid of dying but I’m afraid of a bad death – a long, long, cruel, horrible death. That scares me.”

There has been particular concern among critics of the bill over how people who are vulnerable to the deadly disease will be protected.

Some people believe that the existence of assisted dying laws may create an inherent pressure on terminally ill people – even if no one is actively trying to put pressure on them.

Nick describes this possibility as “very subtle but very insistent background noise”.

He believes that people who may feel like a burden to their loved ones, for example, may “choose to end their lives because they feel they must do so for the sake of their children”. .

He adds, “It’s the people who are the most considerate, the most considerate – those are the people I care about.”

But Nick admits that, although MND has robbed him of his active body, he is not suffering constant pain like Elise and some other terminally ill people.

“I completely respect his position,” he says. “I live in a very privileged position in some ways.”

Ellis disagrees that the bill would force people to end their lives prematurely, as this option would only be available to those who have six months to live.

As a security measure, the person’s request to die would need to be approved by two doctors and a judge.

Ellis acknowledges that those opposing the bill have questions about the effectiveness of these safeguards and the ethics of assisted dying.

“It’s such a complex issue and I don’t have all the answers. What I would say is that everyone should have the choice to do what they want with their body.”

Elise knows she will die soon, but says making choices about when that happens will give her comfort and reassurance.

They believe that if the bill is approved, it will be too late to help them.

Instead, she plans to use an assisted dyeing service offered by Swiss firm Dignitas.

She says her process requires a lot of paperwork beforehand and will cost between £12,000-£15,000.

She says she is lucky to be able to afford such a sum, but the high prices involved are another reason why the law should be changed – so that assisted dying is possible for every terminally ill person. , who chooses it, not just those who can. afford it.

If the bill passes, Ellis wishes she could “be there to see it”.

She adds, “This will help a lot of people.”

Newscast – The Assisted Dying Bill Explained

Adam Fleming is joined by BBC deputy political editor Vicki Young and medical editor Fergus Walsh to discuss the safeguards set out in the bill, how leading politicians are saying they will vote and what concerns those opposing the bill have raised. Are.