Samaritans does not take a view on assisted dying

Samaritans’ vision is that fewer people die by suicide. We work to achieve this vision by being available 24 hours a day to provide emotional support for people who are experiencing feelings of emotional distress and despair, including those which may lead to suicide. We also reach out to communities where the risk of suicide is high, influence public policy and raise awareness.

Samaritans does not take a position on whether assisted dying is right or wrong, or on what the law should be on this matter. This would involve making a range of judgements which could compromise people’s perception of our ability to provide non-judgemental emotional support. It would involve us making judgements for or against particular sets of ethical beliefs, about whose suffering is sufficient, about the validity of people’s decisions, and about people’s personal experiences and feelings.

We cannot take the risk that someone who is in distress will not use our service because of a position we have taken on the issue of assisted dying, which is so strongly related to ethical and moral beliefs and personal experience. For us, the consideration of utmost importance is that we offer non-judgemental, confidential, emotional support to anyone in distress.

Samaritans believes the most important contribution that we can make to this debate is to stress that this debate is about real people and real lives. It must be remembered that conversations around death and how and when someone may want to die are complex and must be discussed sensitively. Our priority is that people who are in circumstances that lead them to consider ending their lives have access to emotional support that includes the exploration of feelings and thoughtful decision-making.

People who are suicidal often describe feeling isolated and hopeless. Our listening service is based on the importance and power of human connection to help prevent suicide.  Our helpline is available 24/7. Our service provides a space for people to talk about their feelings in confidence, with someone who listens without judgement, and with respect for people’s choices. Every 10 seconds, Samaritans answers a call for help.  In 2023, Samaritans volunteers spent more than 900,000 hours responding to calls for help.