By james art Wes Streeting is believed to have made his decision amid fears of coercion and people feeling they “had to die”.
But his government colleague, Culture Minister Lisa Nandy, has confirmed she will vote for Kim Leadbeater’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on November 29.
She said she was aware of the concerns of Mr Streeting and others and that there should be safeguards in any new law.
She told BBC Breakfast: “I’ve just seen too many examples of people who have no choice and no dignity at the end of their lives.
“And I think the current system is unsustainable.”
Mr Streeting had recently spoken of his concern that palliative care was not good enough “to give people real choice”.
Ms Nandy added: “I very much agree with Wes that we need to improve palliative care in this country.
“But I want people to have a choice about how they are treated at the end of their lives.”
Justice Minister Shabana Mahmoud previously said she would oppose the bill, telling the Times: “As a Muslim woman, I have an unwavering belief in the sanctity and value of human life.”
The government is officially neutral on the bill and MPs will be free to vote according to their conscience, not along party lines.
Earlier this month, Cabinet Secretary Simon Case wrote to ministers to say that while they “need not renounce previously expressed views when directly asked about them, they should exercise discretion and not engage in the public debate’.
Dame Esther, who is terminally ill and has been out in support of the change, said she felt “upset” and “deeply disappointed” at the news of Mr Streeting’s decision.
He reportedly gave his views when asked about assisted dying at a meeting of the Parliamentary Labor Party this week.
Dame Esther accused him of “ignoring the government’s request to remain neutral”.
Writing in the Express newspaper, she said: “As health minister you should know, or at least should, that even the best palliative care cannot always save patients from dying in agony, with their families and doctors looking on helplessly.”
She asked if he was “really fine with the current law enforcing this horrible memory?” and said the current situation could “force me to fly to Dignitas in Zurich to die alone”.
She added: “What kind of health minister are you if you have no respect or understanding for the views of terminally ill patients?”
Although Dame Esther is one of the most prominent supporters of the bill, senior figures such as the Archbishop of Canterbury have spoken out against changing the law.
Justin Welby warned of a “slippery slope” and other opponents said they feared for the elderly and disabled who could be particularly vulnerable if the law were changed.
Ms Leadbeater previously rejected the slippery slope argument, saying her legislation would have “very clear criteria, safeguards and protections”.
She also said it was “not about disabled people or people with mental illness who are not terminally ill being pressured to end their lives” and argued that any new law would not come into effect as an alternative of good palliative care.