Statement Following Royal Assent of the Assisted Dying Bill

Isle of Man Medical Society Statement Following Royal Assent of the Assisted Dying Bill

The Isle of Man Medical Society (IOMMS) notes the announcement in Tynwald today that the Assisted Dying Bill has been granted Royal Assent. While we acknowledge the constitutional process, the IOMMS maintains its firm and steadfast position regarding the profound risks this legislation poses to healthcare, vulnerable patients, and the medical profession across the Island.

The IOMMS position remains grounded in the clear consensus of local clinicians: 74% of doctors on the Island oppose assisted dying. Our fundamental concerns regarding this statute and its upcoming implementation remain unchanged:

1. Protection of Vulnerable Groups

Our primary duty is to care for and protect patients. We remain deeply concerned about the potential coercive and adverse impacts on vulnerable members of our community, including the elderly, disabled individuals, and those living with mental health conditions. True compassionate care consists of high-quality, fully resourced palliative care and support, rather than actively hastening death.

2. Professional & Regulatory Integrity

No medications used in assisted dying protocols globally are licensed or systematically regulated for this purpose. The society maintains serious concerns regarding clinical safety, unpredictability, and complications associated with these high-dose regimes. Furthermore, forcing involvement risks placing Manx doctors in conflict with General Medical Council (GMC) regulations and professional ethics, putting medical practitioners’ licences to practise and livelihoods at risk.

3. Protection of Core Healthcare Services

The IOMMS has repeatedly warned that involving Manx Care in the administration or delivery of an assisted dying service threatens to destabilise essential health and social care delivery on the Island. High quality healthcare requires 'first of all doing no harm' and dedicating resources to acute, chronic, and palliative medical services.

4. Implementation & Conscientious Objection

As the Isle of Man enters the implementation phase prior to any service launch, the IOMMS calls upon the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Manx Care to ensure total transparency, robust regulatory safeguards, and full protection for the right of complete conscientious objection for all medical, nursing, and pharmacy personnel. No clinician or healthcare provider must be compelled to participate in or facilitate the procedure in any form.

The IOMMS will continue to advocate for the safety of our patients, the ethical integrity of the medical profession, and the preservation of compassionate, life-affirming care across the Isle of Man.

Dr. Vanina Finocchi Dr. Vineet Varshney Dr. Prakash Thiagarajan

President Honorary Secretary Chair

— ENDS —

Media Contacts

Executive Committee, Isle of Man Medical Society

Email: secretary@iomms.org  | president@iomms.org  | chair@iomms.org 

Website: www.iomms.org