Plaid peer calls for assisted dying services in Welsh

Assisted dying services should be available in Welsh, a Plaid Cymru peer has said.

Baroness Smith of Llanfaes said it was important for those discussing the service with their doctor to be able to speak in their “mother tongue”.

Her comments came as peers debated the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which, if passed, would see assisted dying rolled out in England and Wales.

“Imagine discussing such sensitive matters with your GP and being unable to use your first language,” Lady Smith said.

The peer said she supported a clause in the Bill put forward by Plaid MP Liz Saville Roberts, requiring all reasonable steps to be taken to ensure access to assisted dying services in Welsh.

While Lady Smith said she supported the principle of the Bill, she raised a “serious concern” about the constitutional impact it would have on Wales, with health being a devolved matter.

Last October Senedd members – including First Minister Eluned Morgan and Health Secretary Jeremy Miles – voted against the broader principle of assisted dying.

A cross-party motion was rejected, which offered support, in principle, should Westminster implement “compassionate assisted dying”.

Those against the Senedd proposal feared it would lead to a “slippery slope”, and the elderly and disabled could be covered by the Bill in the future.

In July, it was announced that a decision to provide assisted dying services in the Welsh NHS would not come until after the next Senedd election in May 2026.

Lady Smith said it was “regrettable” that a clause to reflect the need for devolved consent was removed, branding it “deeply problematic”.