“We must be deeply concerned by the particular context in which this bill” on assisted suicide “is being introduced” because “it arrives at a time when cost cutting measures are being sought by the government”, “public services are under enormous pressure”, and “our greatly valued NHS is at breaking point”. Furthermore, palliative care is “seriously underfunded”. With these words, in a pastoral letter that was read out in the parishes of his Diocese, Bishop Patrick McKinney of Nottingham asked the faithful to write to their MPs asking them to vote against the new legislation that would give terminally ill adults in England and Wales the right to get assistance from doctors to end their lives. The new legislation is currently being debated in the Westminster Parliament and could be passed. The head of the Diocese of Portsmouth, Bishop Philip Egan, also sent a letter to his faithful asking them to forward it to their MPs to persuade them to vote down the proposed legislation. Among the reasons for doing so, according to the bishop, is the need to protect the most vulnerable and not to put hospices and those who work to ensure good palliative care at risk. The new law – according to him – would also “undermine the trust we normally place in our doctors” who may be forced to end their patients’ lives.