"Assisted dying" refers to the involvement of health care professionals in the provision of lethal drugs intended to end a patient’s life at their voluntary request, subject to eligibility criteria and safeguards. It includes health care professionals prescribing lethal drugs for the patient to self-administer (physician-assisted suicide) and health care professionals administering lethal drugs (euthanasia).

The UK Parliament has issued a research briefing, "Assisted Dying," that provides a brief overview of assisted dying, including ethical debate (centered on autonomy and the protection of vulnerable groups) and stakeholder opinion. It examines how assisted dying functions within health services in countries where it is a legal option. Access the briefing via the URL: https://post.parliament.uk/research-briefings/post-pb-0047/

Adapted from Gajjar D, Hobbs A. UK Parliament. Post. Post brief. Health and social care. Internet. Available at https://post.parliament.uk/research-briefings/post-pb-0047/. Accessed on October 3, 2021.