A Cumbrian hospice has stated it "holds no judgement" towards those supporting euthanasia as MPs prepare to vote on a bill to legalise assisted dying next month.
The upcoming Commons debate marks the first vote on the issue in nearly a decade.
Proponents, such as Dignity in Dying, argue that terminally ill, mentally competent adults should have the option to control their death if suffering becomes unbearable.
Opponents, including Care Not Killing, caution that legalising assisted dying could pressure vulnerable individuals to end their lives and advocate for better palliative care instead.
The bill, introduced by MP Kim Leadbeater, applies to England and Wales, with the first vote set for November 29.
At the hospice level in Cumbria, the focus is on the standard of care for their patients.
Eden Valley Hospice declined to comment either way on the issue, while Hospice at Home West Cumbria offered a neutral perspective, while highlighting their overall stance of treating death 'as a natural process'.
"We believe that everyone has the right to live as well as possible and be cared for with dignity and respect until it is their time to die.
"We understand that people have their own thoughts and wishes around their end of life, and we encourage everyone to talk about dying and share their wishes with their loved ones," a Hospice at Home West Cumbria spokesperson said.
They said the hospice follows the industry ethos defined by the World Health Organisation, in that it ‘intends neither to hasten nor postpone death, affirms life, and recognises dying as a natural process'.
"Understandably assisted dying is an emotive topic and is one which has recently gathered pace in the media, and we recognise that there will be strong opinions on this.
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"At Hospice at Home West Cumbria, we respect and acknowledge those views and hold no judgement for those who support it, those who request it or those that oppose it.
"Those views will not prevent anyone from accessing our services and will not change how we care for them.
"We will continue to focus on the right of every individual to have access to palliative and end-of-life care, and that those in our community know about the range of services and support we offer," they concluded.
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