Mum who sought to end her life warns MSPs not to back 'destructive' Bill

Michelle Anna Moffatt, a 44-year-old former nurse from Dunbartonshire, called the proposals "dangerous" and said those backing them did not realise the impact they will have on disabled people.

Ms Moffatt pointed to her own experience after suffering a life-changing spinal injury in 2019. She has now been diagnosed with gastroparesis, and depends on a feeding tube to survive.

She told The Scotsman: "When I was actually going to do this before, I didn't think it was right to end my life, but I was in such a bad place mentally that I just didn't foresee that my life could ever have any worth.

"So it's not necessarily always coercion from outside. There's self-coercion, and I don't know how you're meant to protect against that."

READ MORE: MSP behind assisted dying law 'hopeful' of passing historic vote and addresses disability rights fears

MSPs are preparing for three marathon sessions this week to consider amendments to the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, with Holyrood expected to sit until 10pm on all three nights to debate more than 300 changes.

If passed, the Bill would allow terminally ill adults to seek to end their lives. It would require two independent medical professionals to confirm a person is terminally ill and has mental capacity before assistance could be provided.

The legislation, which was put forward by Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur and is expected to go to a final vote next week, has proven controversial, with worries about safeguards and potential coercion.

Ms Moffatt urged MSPs to try to understand the implications of the legislation for the disabled and others.

"What's very difficult to comprehend is you already feel like a burden a lot of the time - you're having a bad day, you're in pain, you're dependent on people for things as it is,” she said.

"It might be inadvertent, but they are inadvertently opening a door whereby they are causing a lot of pressure [to be] put upon people.

"So what they think might be getting done in the name of love could be absolutely destructive for so many people.”

She added: "These are people's lives. It's not just a number, it's not a cost-benefit analysis."

Speaking ahead of this week’s debates, McArthur said: "Hundreds of millions of people already live in jurisdictions where assisted dying is legal.

“They are soon to be joined by territories like the Isle of Man and Jersey. It is overwhelmingly the will of the people here in Scotland, backed by Scots regardless of religious affiliation, political party or disability status.”

He added: "By the time it reaches its final vote my Bill will have had five years of development and scrutiny. Over that time, it has drawn record levels of public consultation and engagement with stakeholders as well as going through a comprehensive parliamentary process.

"It has in place clear safeguards against coercion which are tried and tested in countries like Australia and New Zealand. The new law cannot come into force until protections for medical staff who wish not to take part are enshrined in law. There will also be the opportunity to add further protections this week through amendments, including ones that would require someone to be assessed as having less than six months to live in order to be eligible, an approach I will be supporting.”