JERSEY remains “on track” to launch its assisted-dying service in early autumn next year, according to the independent chair overseeing its introduction.
Assisted Dying Assurance and Delivery Committee chair Sarah Wollaston said extensive work was under way on staff training, operational guidance and support for patients, as the Island prepares to become the first place in the British Isles to offer the service.
“The service can’t start until both the Jersey Care Commission and the committee that I’ll be chairing are happy that it will be safe and effective and is ready to go,” she said.
“We need to make sure that everything is in place before we can launch the service, and it has to be safe.”
The Assisted Dying (Jersey) Law 2026 received Royal Assent in July, following States Assembly approval in February. Ministers had previously targeted a launch late in 2027.
Dr Wollaston said preparations included registering professionals who would provide the service, developing training programmes and ensuring advocacy, translation and communication support were available.
Patients with conditions such as motor neurone disease might need technology to help communicate their wishes, she explained.
The committee will scrutinise preparations and oversee the service once it opens, including safeguards against coercion and protections for people who object to participating.
Dr Wollaston is now encouraging Islanders with experience of palliative care, or supporting a loved one at the end of life, to apply to represent patients and families on the committee.
Drawing on her own experience of caring for relatives, she described it as “an emotional rollercoaster” and said that perspective needed to be represented. The successful applicant would speak for other families, rather than solely recount their own experiences.
People with reservations about assisted dying are also welcome to apply, Dr Wollaston said – but she stressed that the committee’s task is to implement and oversee the law rather than reopen the debate.
“That doesn’t mean to say that if you have reservations about assisted dying, that you can’t be there to also give voice to some of the concerns that have been expressed,” she explained.
“A key role of the committee is going to be making sure that the service operates within the law, and that includes making sure that those who use the service are not being coerced into making these decisions or subject to undue influence and so forth.”
The role involves around 15 days a year, potentially more during preparations for launch. A separate position is also advertised for a representative of an end-of-life care organisation.
More information can be found on the Leading Our Island website. Applications close on Thursday 22 October.
