Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) have voted against a bill to legalise assisted dying.
The deciding Stage 3 debate and vote for the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill took place at Holyrood on March 17.
There were 57 votes for the bill and 69 against. Health secretary Neil Gray abstained from the vote.
Read more: ‘Serious concerns’: RPS Scotland opposes assisted dying bill
If passed, the bill would have allowed eligible terminally ill adults in Scotland “to lawfully request, and be provided with, assistance by health professionals to end their own life”.
It comes after the RPS in Scotland said it is formally opposed to the assisted dying bill due to the “removal of vital protections to protect pharmacists”.
The body said last week that while it is “neutral on the principle of assisted dying”, it is not neutral “on the process”.
Read more: RPS Scotland and other bodies object to Assisted Dying changes
It explained that it was opposed to the bill due to the “removal of vital protections to protect pharmacists who may wish to conscientiously object” to taking part in an assisted death.
And six Scottish healthcare bodies previously raised concerns over “provisions relating to ‘no duty to participate’” and “protections linked to professional regulation and employment rights” in the assisted dying bill.
Read more: Assisted dying and pharmacy: Where does liability lie?
The organisations said they “take no collective position on the principle of assisted dying”, but are concerned about the potential removal of “provisions relating to no duty to participate and conscientious objection”.
“Removing issues of such significance risks undermining both professional confidence and public trust,” they added.
