Actress Sophie Turner has issued a stark warning regarding the "serious risk" she and other campaigners believe the proposed assisted dying Bill poses to individuals grappling with eating disorders.
The acclaimed star, known for her role in Game Of Thrones, who has previously spoken candidly about her own struggles with an eating disorder, is among the prominent figures who have co-signed a letter addressed to peers in the House of Lords. The draft legislation is currently under intense scrutiny by the upper chamber.
Should it pass into law, the Bill would permit terminally ill adults in England and Wales, with a prognosis of less than six months to live, to seek an assisted death. This would be subject to approval from two medical practitioners and a panel comprising a social worker, a senior legal professional, and a psychiatrist.
However, Ms Turner, who revealed in a 2022 Elle magazine interview that "for a long time, I was quite sick with an eating disorder", has now voiced "deep concern" over the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.
The letter, orchestrated by the Eat Breathe Thrive Foundation for Eating Disorders, has also garnered support from organisations including the mental health charity Mind, and features signatures from TV presenter Gail Porter and former Hollyoaks actor Stephanie Waring.
Published on Tuesday, the letter unequivocally states: "We are writing to express deep concern about the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill and the serious risk it poses to people with eating disorders."
It continues: "If passed, this Bill could make individuals with eating disorders eligible for assisted death at times when they are unable to access or accept treatment."
The signatories further caution: "Many young people who could recover with effective care might instead receive lethal medication during a period of despair."
A central argument within the letter is that the definition of "terminally ill" could be interpreted to encompass individuals with eating disorders "who develop severe physical complications from starvation, purging, or restricting insulin".
Furthermore, the signatories reject the notion that someone with an eating disorder would be ineligible for an assisted death due to a lack of capacity. They argue this stance "reflects a misunderstanding of both capacity and the nature of these illnesses" because people with eating disorders "are often coherent and capable of making decisions unrelated to nutrition, even when severely ill".
Members of the House of Lords are scheduled to reconvene on Friday for the second of at least four committee sessions dedicated to the Bill’s provisions. A record-breaking number of over 900 amendments have already been tabled, seeking to alter various aspects of the draft law.
Yet, Ms Turner and her fellow signatories contend: "Amendments may lessen the risk for people with eating disorders but cannot remove it entirely."
They assert that "the deeper problem lies within the healthcare system itself."
"Decades of underinvestment, limited research, and poor co-ordination have left services overstretched and fragmented. Families are waiting months, sometimes years, for treatment while the illness progresses to more severe, complex, and life-threatening stages," the letter highlights.
The group has urged peers to "pause and ensure that legislation intended to bring compassion to those facing terminal illness does not end the lives of those who could still recover".
The Bill, in its current form, specifies that an individual who would not otherwise meet the definition of being terminally ill "shall not be considered to meet those requirements solely as a result of voluntarily stopping eating or drinking".
Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who introduced the Bill in the Commons last year, has previously stated that this amendment – incorporated earlier this year – combined with existing safeguards, would prevent people with eating disorders from falling within its scope.
Rebecca Wilcox, daughter of the terminally ill broadcaster and Childline founder Dame Esther Rantzen, and a supporter of the Bill, has previously cautioned against "scaremongering" when addressing concerns about the vulnerability of those with eating disorders under a new law.
However, the Royal College of Psychiatrists has also voiced concerns over the past year, insisting the Bill must explicitly "exclude the physical effects of mental disorder, such as anorexia or dementia, as the basis for eligibility" for assisted dying.
The Bill’s passage into law is contingent upon agreement from both the House of Commons and House of Lords on its final drafting, with approval required before the current parliamentary session concludes in spring.
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