The fate of the ongoing Assisted Dying Bill, which allows adults who are terminally ill and with less than six months to live to be provided with assistance to end their own life, is currently hanging in the balance. It was first introduced in October 2024 by Labour MP, Kim Leadbeater, to the House of Commons. Since then, the bill has become a highly divisive subject, attracting both opponents and proponents in equal measure.

As of early 2026, the bill is stuck in the House of Lords committee stage. It passed Second Reading in the Lords, but peers have been debating and amending it for months which has slowed its progress. Under existing proposals, even pregnant people who meet the criteria of being terminally ill, mentally competent, and with six months or less to live, could theoretically access assisted dying. It’s largely being framed around dignity, autonomy, and individual choice. What has received far less scrutiny, however, is how such legislation would function for people who already experience bias within the healthcare system, particularly Black women.