As a GP and MSP, I have witnessed both peaceful deaths and unbearable suffering. Scotland’s assisted dying bill offers a safe, compassionate choice for those whose pain cannot be relieved, says Sandesh Gulhane.

As a GP in the NHS, I have cared for many of my patients in their final days. I have sat at their bedsides. I have seen good deaths - peaceful, supported, surrounded by loved ones. But I have also seen, firsthand, how even the very best palliative care is not always a panacea. I have seen the devastating impact that unrelieved suffering can have on individuals, and the lasting impact witnessing such suffering leaves on families and those who care for them.

These experiences stay with you as a doctor.

They also force you to confront a difficult question: what options are available to dying people whose suffering cannot be relieved?

The reality is uncomfortable. Many people die in ways they would never have chosen. Those with the financial means sometimes travel abroad to places such as Dignitas to seek an assisted death. Others take matters into their own hands here in Scotland, isolated and without medical support, often in traumatic or violent circumstances.

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The law as it currently stands does not prevent these outcomes. It simply drives them underground. There are no safeguards, no regulation or oversight, and no transparency for the patients or families involved.

As both a GP and a Member of the Scottish Parliament, I have come to the view that this situation is cruel and unacceptable. At the moment when people most value dignity, control and reassurance, the law denies them the ability to exercise those choices.

Liam McArthur’s Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill offers an opportunity to change that. It would allow terminally ill people, under strict safeguards, the option of a safe and compassionate death on their own terms, if that is their wish.

This debate is often portrayed as a stark moral divide. In reality, it is more complex. I am a practising Hindu, and my faith emphasises the sanctity of life and the natural course of death. Those principles matter deeply to me. Like many people of faith, I have wrestled with the ethical and spiritual questions that assisted dying raises.

But Parliament’s role is not to impose one moral framework on a diverse nation. Scotland today is a plural society with many different beliefs and perspectives. Our responsibility as legislators is to examine evidence carefully, to listen to people and to create laws that are compassionate, fair and safe.

From a medical perspective, attitudes have shifted significantly. The last time Holyrood debated assisted dying legislation, every major medical organisation opposed it. Today, the British Medical Association and others have moved to positions of neutrality that better reflect the diversity of views within the profession.

Scottish Conservative Shadow Health Secretary Sandesh Gulhane MSP (Image: PA)

The BMA’s own survey found that more doctors in Scotland support assisted dying than oppose it. Increasingly, colleagues tell me they would be prepared to act as conscientious providers should the law change. They recognise that doctors around the world are already providing this care responsibly within regulated systems.

Of course, not everyone agrees - and that must be respected. This Bill fully protects the right of healthcare professionals to conscientiously object.

What is equally striking is the strength of public opinion. According to the latest Scottish Social Attitudes survey, more than 80 per cent of people in Scotland support assisted dying for those with a terminal illness. That is an overwhelming majority.

In Holyrood we have taken that responsibility seriously. This legislation is the product of years of consultation with the public, healthcare professionals and experts. MSPs have debated more than 300 amendments, carefully examining whether they strengthen an already robust Bill or create unnecessary barriers for dying people.

This has never been a rushed process. Getting this right matters profoundly for patients and their families.

The Bill, as amended, would introduce protections where currently none exist. Only a small number of terminally ill Scots would choose this option each year. But the reassurance it offers - the knowledge that unbearable suffering need not be endured without choice — would bring enormous peace of mind to many people.

It is also important to be clear about what assisted dying is not. It is not a substitute for palliative care. Scotland must continue to strengthen and invest in those services. High-quality palliative care should remain a cornerstone of how we support people at the end of life.

Parliament now faces a decision. This is a serious, compassionate and carefully considered Bill. It would create a law that is safe, dignified and fair.

MSPs owe it to Scotland to take that opportunity.

Dr Sandesh Gulhane is a Conservative MSP for Glasgow and Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health & Social Care

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