Wednesday March 11th 2026
Lorna Slater, Scottish Greens Lothian MSP
Lorna Slater, Scottish Greens Lothian MSP, writes her monthly column for the Midlothian View
This week, the Scottish Parliament will vote on the amendments to the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill, ahead of the final vote on the entire bill next week. This will be the most important bill that we’ve considered in this term of parliament.
At the end of last year my father, Andrew, chose a medically assisted death in Canada. What I witnessed at my father’s death was professionalism, warmth, compassion and dignity.
Surrounded by family, he was able to say his goodbyes and make decisions about his final moments with clarity and calmness. That experience left a lasting impression on me about what compassionate end of life care can look like.
Next week’s vote will determine whether adults in Scotland facing terminal illness might one day have that same choice.
Assisted dying does not replace the need for good medical and palliative care; everyone deserves excellent end-of-life care. It is about recognising that in some cases, even the very best care cannot remove every form of suffering.
My father had the very best of care, saw my mum every day and his grandkids regularly, but he was ready to go. He was bed-bound and uncomfortable, unable to speak well or do much for himself, every day was uncomfortable medical procedures and interventions, he was afraid of losing capacity, afraid that his pain would increase, and he knew that he was dying.
He wanted to do it peacefully and calmly, surrounded by his family, he didn’t want to gasp out his last breath in fear and pain, alone in the night.
With my mum’s arms around him and his daughters holding his hand, he fell, as the nurse had said he would, into the best and deepest sleep. That is how I want to go and I wish everyone in Scotland had the choice to have such a beautiful exit from this life.
Public opinion in Scotland is significantly in favour of assisted dying being made available as a choice for adults at the ends of their lives, and, as elected representatives, we will be letting down the people who voted for us if we don’t listen.
We all have a duty to ensure that the bill protects vulnerable people, and I know my MSP colleagues will consider this carefully when debating the bill this week. I hope that they will also consider the principle that guided my father’s final decision, that every person deserves dignity, compassion and the right to have a say in how their life ends.
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