The British Geriatrics Society's position on assisted dying.

In response to increased focus on the issue of Assisted Dying (AD) in the UK due to the presentation of The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill 2024-25 [1] and bills before parliaments in the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Scotland, the British Geriatric Society (BGS) recently developed a position statement opposing legalisation of AD in the UK [2]. We set out our key reasoning behind this position, namely the current adverse health and social care context and significant concern about whether effective safeguards can be created to protect older people with complex needs from undue harms. The BGS asks for improved, personalised, multidisciplinary care for older people at the end of their lives, including high-quality palliative and end-of-life care.

The politics of frailty.

The world population is ageing because of falling fertility and improved life expectancy. Knowing this has not helped governments develop sustainable health and care policies because the underlying causes and impacts of population ageing remain poorly understood. Planning using only population age structure does not account for uneven geographical distribution of older people, their health characteristics, functional needs or lived experiences.

Nutrition, older people and the end of life.

Older patients are at increased risk of malnutrition, resulting in higher mortality and morbidity. It is important to address nutritional need early in order to prevent or mitigate these adverse outcomes. Decisions about nutrition and hydration for older people presenting with acute illness or evolving multiple long-term conditions present great difficulty to all involved.