Should doctors be required to assist the deaths of their patients? There is much action in Westminster, and Scotland where health matters are devolved.

Margo MacDonald, Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP), has Parkinson's disease. She wants to change Scottish law to legalise voluntary euthanasia and physician assisted suicide, and has been holding a consultation. Her proposed bill needs 18 signatures (from the 129 MSPs) to be debated. If it were, the lengthy consideration needed would be completed before the next Scottish election in 2011.

In the UK Appeal Court, multiple sclerosis patient Debbie Purdy was refused any guarantee that her husband would not be prosecuted for assisting her suicide if he were to accompany her to the Dignitas facility in Switzerland.

The UK Coroners and Justice Bill includes a brief and laudable attempt to update the law on assisting suicide by changing the 1961 language of 'aid, abet, procure, counsel' to that of 'encourage or assist', to stop internet-inspired suicide clusters (eg in Bridgend, South Wales). We anticipate a last-minute amendment so that British relatives going to Dignitas could not be prosecuted. This might seem moderate, but it would establish a principle in UK law and launch us down a slippery slope.

• carenotkilling.org.uk 2009
• www.cmf.org.uk 2009