An Ethical Reflection on Assisted Dying, Inequity Within Palliative Medicine Services and Access to Care in the United Kingdom: A Resident Doctor's Perspective.

With the passing of the Assisting Dying Act in the United Kingdom, there are growing concerns from within and outside the Palliative Care community. The conflicting ethical issues at play are complex and often contradictory. I present a short summary of several ethical issues and a narrative argument in opposition to assisted dying in our current system, citing autonomy, beneficence, arguments of justice, inequity and a rights-based approach. Overall, I will argue that the disparity between availability and demand for access to specialist palliative care creates an inequitable playing field for patients and clinicians and that until equitable access to palliative care is established, patients are at risk of being consented for assisted dying without access to a viable and evidence-based alternative.