Peers in the House of Lords have been given an extra 10 days to scrutinise the Assisted Dying Bill.

The move follows concerns that a huge volume of amendments could stop the bill from passing.

The bill, introduced by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater and backed by MPs in June, would allow mentally competent adults in England and Wales to apply for assisted death if they are expected to die within six months. This is subject to the doctors' approval.

The bill is now in its final stages in the House of Lords, where peers must agree on the legislation's wording.

Approval is needed by both the Commons and the Lords before spring 2026, when the current Parliament session concludes.

Peers have tabled more than a thousand amendments, but after the first couple of committee days, fewer than thirty have been discussed.

In response, the government chief whip in the Lords, Lord Roy Kennedy, has arranged extra sitting days for the House so peers can give the bill more time for line-by-line scrutiny.

Leadbeater shared her worry with the BBC that “some of the processes and procedures that can be used are being used to frustrate the bill, and that is deeply disappointing and upsetting".

She welcomed the decision to extend the deadline, saying: "There is little doubt that these days, used responsibly and constructively, will allow the Bill to progress through the Lords and enable Parliament to give dying people choice and dignity in their final days and protect their loved ones from the threat of prosecution."

She added that the expanded timetable represents “an unprecedented amount of debating time for a private members’ bill". 

Opponents of the bill argue that the extension is essential, insisting that the extra time is needed to address what they see as serious gaps and safeguarding weaknesses in the current draft.