'It's making people jump through hoops': Sarco suicide pod creator criticises assisted dying bill's 'onerous' safeguards

By Emma Soteriou

The creator of the Sarco suicide pod has hit out at the 'onerous' safeguards proposed as part of the assisted dying bill.

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Speaking to LBC's Ben Kentish, Dr Philip Nitschke said the safeguards are for the benefit of everyone else and not for the person who is seeking death.

It comes ahead of a debate and vote on the proposed legislation on Friday.

Under the bill, anyone wanting to go ahead with the process will need to be signed off by two doctors and a High Court Judge.

"If you introduce those sorts of safeguards, you make people jump through hoops, you make them run around in circles, because they’re trying to make us feel comfortable about what they’re planning," Dr Nitschke said.

"It’s up to the individual to do this."

Read more: Why are women in their twenties opting for assisted dying in the Netherlands? LBC went to find out

Read more: David Cameron becomes first former PM to back assisted dying bill in major u-turn from previous vote

Sarco suicide pod creator hits out at 'onerous' safeguards in assisted dying bill

He continued: "Your law should be allowing them to make that decision and have access to the best means if and when they decide to take that course, not giving them the task of trying to convince some sort of adjudicating authority that they’re doing the right thing."

When pushed on the benefits of the proposed safeguards, Dr Nitschke said: "You might not feel that way if you were the person who was desperate to get help to die and found yourself having to run around and find a doctor who agrees with you.

"The point is that you make that decision.

"You need to have mental capacity, you need someone to assess that you know what you’re doing, I agree with that, but once you know what you’re doing you should not then have to go around and try and find some other adjudicating authority to decide if or not you’re eligible."

He went on to say: "I'm a bit worried that your so-called safeguards are more onerous than I see in many other countries around the world.

"You’ve got two doctors and a judge… no other country in the world does that. That’s really jumping through hoops."

However, many have shared their concerns over the safeguards not being effective enough to prevent coercion.

Diane Abbott and Sir Edward Leigh, who are the UK’s longest-serving MPs, recently called for MPs to reject the assisted dying bill.

Ms Abbott told LBC's Sunday with Lewis Goodall: "What worries me, and what worries a lot of MPs, is you'll get dying people saying 'I don't want to be a burden' or 'I don't want to run down my family's inheritance'.

"Now, a lot of families would say, 'oh, don't, you know, this is quite wrong. You'd be wrong to agree to assisted suicide'.

"But sadly, there are families that would stay silent and collude at dying people choosing assisted suicide, whereas what might be appropriate is better palliative care."

Watch Again: Diane Abbott joins Lewis Goodall

She continued: "It's about not putting vulnerable people at risk.

"I've been an MP for quite a few years, and you'll be shocked to know how cruel and unfeeling family members can be to their relatives. And I don't want to open the door to vulnerable people being abused."

MP Kim Leadbeater, who introduced the bill, has described it as the most "robust" in the world, with "three layers of scrutiny".

It would also make coercion an offence with a possible punishment of 14 years in jail.

Five hours have been set aside for MPs to air their views on the bill on Friday, and a vote must be called before 2.30pm otherwise it is highly unlikely to make any further progress through Parliament.

Ms Leadbeater said she is hopeful this "major social reform" will pass this first stage in the process to becoming law.

Andrew Marr explains why he doesn't think the Assisted Dying Bill will pass

Dr Nitschke has said he would be "very keen" to let people in the UK kill themselves with his 'Sarco' pods if the bill goes through.

He said that the devices would be popular with people who don't want to inject themselves or who have swallowing difficulties.

The pod works by allowing a person inside the device to push a button that injects nitrogen gas into the sealed chamber.

The person inside is then supposed to fall asleep before dying of suffocation.

Legal experts believe that the device would be lawful to use under the UK's bill, as long as there was further approval from the Health Secretary.

Asked if he would bring his 'death pods' to the UK, Dr Nitschke told the Telegraph: "We have a lot of members there, and a lot of UK people following the Sarco project very closely.

"There would be a lot of scope. I would be very keen to do that."

Assisted dying: Esther Rantzen explains why she's disappointed in the Health Secretary

Meanwhile, Esther Rantzen has criticised the Health Secretary for his "vocal opposition" to the bill.

Dame Esther, 85, was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2023, and has previously appealed to the government to make time for Parliament to debate and vote freely on the matter.

Now, ahead of MPs debating the assisted dying bill on Friday, Dame Esther has said MPs should be honest about their reasons for opposing a change in the law.

"I think this is an issue which shouldn't actually be decided by cost," she told LBC's Nick Ferrari, following comments made by Wes Streeting over the financial implications.

"But certainly if this bill is passed during the committee stage, the government has said that they will ensure there is an analysis of the impact at all levels in all departments."