Assisted dying: ‘My terminally ill wife wanted the right to die’

The Scottish Parliament is set to vote in 2023 on whether terminally ill, competent adults should legally be allowed to receive medical assistance to die.

Leighanne Baird-Sangster is one of 10,687 people (76% of respondents) who expressed their support to introduce assisted dying at the public consultation stage.

The proposed Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill would “enable competent adults who are terminally ill to be provided at their request with assistance to end their life”.

It would only be available to people aged 16 and over, with a prognosis of no longer than six months to live, deemed to be of competent mind and able to administer and ingest the medication themselves.

Leighanne lost her wife Gill in May 2020 - 15 months after receiving a terminal prognosis.

MSPs will be given a free vote on the assisted dying legislation, meaning they do not need to vote in line with their party and there will be no whip applied.

For an alternative view, watch Dennis’ story, about why this father-of-five who lost four children is against assisted dying.