THE CASE FOR CHANGE

Forcing someone in unyielding pain or distress to continue suffering against their will is wrong. It’s cruel, inhumane, and needs to change. The option of an assisted death is already a reality for more than 350 million people around the world – including in Canada, Germany, Switzerland, and parts of America and Australia. 

Half of doctors in the UK personally support changing the law, and the weight of public opinion overwhelmingly favours a right to die for those with terminal or intolerable conditions. The UK’s law is outdated and lacking in compassion.

RESPECTING END OF LIFE CHOICES

The freedom to live according to one’s own values and beliefs is a fundamental human right – it shouldn’t stop applying at the end of someone’s life.

  • Many people who travel abroad for an assisted death are forced to end their lives earlier than they would otherwise wish, because they will become incapable of travelling to Switzerland at a later stage
  • The current law does not treat everyone’s choices equally. More than one person a week travels to Switzerland to end their life, but many others cannot afford the costs of doing so. Dying in a manner of your own choosing shouldn’t depend upon your means.
  • Between a third and a half of all people who apply for assisted deaths, in countries where it is legal, later choose not to end their life. The security of knowing that they can end their life, should their suffering ever become too much to bear, allows them to live their life without fear. 

COMPASSION FOR THE TERMINALLY ILL AND INCURABLY SUFFERING

Advances in modern medicine mean it is now possible to extend the length of someone’s life further than ever before. But, unfortunately, many more people are also suffering for longer. 

  • Even if everyone had access to the best possible palliative care at least 17 people die everyday without adequate pain relief, and more than 150 people suffer only partial relief. No one facing constant and incurable suffering should be forced to endure a drawn-out, undignified, or painful death
  • The current law forces families to make an intolerable choice between letting their loved ones suffer, or helping them and risking up to 14 years in prison
  • Many people who travel abroad for an assisted death conceal their plans from friends and family, because they fear that they might inadvertently implicate someone. Nobody should be robbed of their final goodbyes. 

STRENGTHENING PROTECTIONS FOR THE VULNERABLE

The UK’s ban on assisted dying hasn’t stopped people from asking for help to end their lives. At least one Brit per week travels abroad for an assisted death, and it’s unknown how many covert assisted deaths happen in the UK. The law hasn’t stopped assisted dying, it’s only prevented strong safeguards from being in place. 

  • Research conducted for My Death, My Decision indicates that nearly a third of all people who have had an assisted death abroad are unknown to the police. The police can’t protect people who they don’t know are having assisted deaths
  • In the absence of clear oversight, UK citizens are sometimes driven to seek out advice from unqualified sources. Instead of ending their suffering, this advice often leads to people exacerbating their pain and distress
  • Patients often fail to confide in their doctors when they intend to end their life, because they fear they could be prevented from doing so. This means patients are less likely to learn about alternative treatment options or make informed decisions.  

PROTECTING VULNERABLE PEOPLE

Robust and effective safeguards are central to our campaign for legal assisted dying. In places where assisted dying is legal, the evidence is overwhelmingly positive – people access assisted deaths free from coercion. The result is a reduction in suffering.   

A BLANKET-BAN LAW DOESN’T PROTECT VULNERABLE PEOPLE

The UK’s ban on assisted dying hasn’t stopped some people helping others to die. It has only driven the practice overseas or underground. We think that strong safeguards should be put in place upfront; and that assisted dying should be regulated to ensure that any decisions people make are clear and settled wishes, arrived at free from coercion. 

  • Our research shows that up to 30% of people who travel to Switzerland for an assisted death are unknown to the police. But it’s unknown how many people covertly receive help in the UK – so the number is likely to be even higher. If people are already flying under the police’s radar, there is no way they can be protected
  • Independent research suggests that the current law pressures people into ending their lives sooner than they’d want, because they fear if they don’t travel abroad to die they might become too ill to do so at a later date
  • In the absence of legal and expert guidance, many people seek out advice from unqualified or unethical sources. Instead of ending their suffering, this can result in ‘botched’ efforts and, even worse, pain.

HOW LEGALISED ASSISTED DYING COULD PROTECT VULNERABLE PEOPLE

There is no credible evidence from countries that have legalised assisted dying, that a change in the law would pressurise vulnerable people. In fact, independent study after study including from Professor Batin et al, Dr Luc Deliens et al, and Professor James Downar et al have all concluded the exact opposite.

My Death, My Decision would press for any law which permitted assisted dying to include a set of robust safeguards to satisfy independent medical assessors that people are making fully informed, clear decisions, free from coercion. For example, these could include requiring that: 

  • Two independent medical assessors would have to be satisfied that someone was fully informed of all alternative treatments, had made a well-considered and consistent request, and had not been coerced
  • Someone must be provided with the opportunity to receive counselling before being assisted to die
  • Protocols would require any authorised professional who assisted another person to die to report the death to an independent oversight council for compliance review.

These safeguards would be effective, because the issues posed by assisted dying are already confronted by health practitioners on a day-to-day basis. Assessing if someone has capacity, is making a voluntary decision, and whether they are aware of their alternatives are all routine parts of current end of life options such as refusing life-sustaining treatment. It is accepted in these contexts that the problem of unscrupulous relatives and vulnerable people can be squarely confronted and overcome. Assisted dying would be no different.