A few days ago, we posted a blog about the Saatchi Bill – the great step forward for medical innovation that would allow doctors to try new and radical treatments to save dying cancer patients without fear of legal repercussions. But on February 28th, we found that Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb has announced that his party will refuse to debate the bill when it comes up for debate in the House of Commons.

In the words of Lord Saatchi himself: “They have killed the Medical Innovation Bill. It is dead. By killing the Bill they have killed the hopes of thousands of cancer patients…It is as simple as that. Nick Clegg has handed down a death sentence to cancer patients. It is an extraordinary turn of events.”

This is a great blow to so many – to patients, to their families and to any of us who might find ourselves in the same unfortunate position. The Bill has gone through two years of close scrutiny and plenty of amendments and debate in the House of Lords. Lamb cites pressure from medical unions and patient organisations among his reasons for killing the bill. But instead of debating it in the precious amount of time left before Parliament goes on election break, the Lib Dems have chosen this utterly nonsensical route. And as a result, people will die.

Politics aside, we still hold out hope that the Bill will get another shot when MPs return from break. However, if there is a chance, it is a slim one. The Finchley Clinic will continue to back Lord Saatchi and his supporters’ honourable fight against undemocratic MPs, shady corporate practices and a medical world that runs on the fear of litigation. We know that dying patients will one day be given the ray of hope they desperately need.