Today, the Health and Social Care Committee published its report on assisted dying. My Death, My Decision welcomes the report and urges parliament to act as soon as possible on assisted dying. The Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition have both said recently that they would give Parliamentary time to a new debate.

The report contained no direct recommendations for legislative change, but clearly outlines the evidence and should be used as a roadmap for the next parliament to legislate on assisted dying.

Members of the MDMD team, as well as individuals affected by the current law on assisted dying, are available for interview upon request.

Trevor Moore, Chair of My Death, My Decision, said:

“This report should lay the foundations for a compassionate assisted dying law. The report is clear that individuals in the UK are suffering unnecessarily and that the present law is a shambles.  Doing nothing is no longer an option. Adults who are suffering intolerably from incurable conditions deserve the right to make their own end-of-life decisions.

While it is disappointing that the report didn’t go further to directly recommend change,  nothing in this report should block Parliament from acting. So we urge the next parliament to act on this urgently, drawing on the experience of the 31 jurisdictions that have already done so.”

My Death, My Decision would welcome an assisted dying law in the UK that grants mentally capable adults the option of an assisted death if they are enduring unbearable suffering from an incurable physical condition.

The report includes several insights into how assisted dying is working well abroad. Including:

• Palliative care is improved by the introduction of assisted dying legislation.
• The current guidance for doctors about assisted dying is inadequate and should be improved.
• In every country with assisted dying legislation, doctors can conscientiously object – many people recommend an opt-in model for medical professionals.
• So-called ‘slippery slopes’ where assisted dying legislation expands unintentionally don’t exist – The US state of Oregon’s assisted dying law remains effectively unchanged since it was introduced in 1997.

The report made several references to My Death, My Decision’s evidence submitted, including that public opinion has been consistently in favour of assisted dying for decades and that not allowing people with disabilities the right to make decisions about their own end of life removes their autonomy and is discriminatory.

Read our summary of the inquiry as it happened.

The report fails to address the fact that – as recent research shows – less than half the UK residents who seek an assisted death in Switzerland would be helped by the narrow laws that Parliament has considered to date. 

Susan Lawford, who was arrested and investigated for accompanying Sharon Johnston to Dignitas in 2022, said:

“I was arrested at 5 am, kept in a cell for 16 hours and then was under investigation for six months for the crime of accompanying Sharon Johnston to have an assisted death in Switzerland. I’m disappointed that the report doesn’t recommend change, but I’m hopeful that politicians can use it to debate and vote on a meaningful change to the law.

It’s clear to me that Sharon shouldn’t have been forced abroad to die with dignity. This report mentions that too many people in the UK are suffering and have a clear and settled wish to die with dignity. Our politicians must act.”

Notes:

Members of the MDMD team, as well as individuals affected by the current law on assisted dying, are available for interview upon request

For further comment or information, media should contact Nathan Stilwell at nathan.stilwell@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk or phone 07456200033.

My Death, My Decision is a grassroots campaign group that wants the law in England and Wales to allow those who are terminally ill or intolerably suffering the option of a legal, safe, and compassionate assisted death. With the support of over 3,000 members, we advocate for an evidence-based law that would balance individual choice alongside robust safeguards and finally give the people of England and Wales choice at the end of their lives.

A new study published today shows that the majority of UK residents who travel to Switzerland for an assisted death would not be helped by the laws considered by Parliament to date. My Death, My Decision urges politicians to support an assisted dying law that recognises intolerable suffering and makes these journeys to Switzerland unnecessary.

Every law that has been proposed in the UK so far has been based on the legislation introduced by the US state of Oregon in 1997. Under the ‘Oregon Model’, only people with a terminal illness who have six months left to live or less are eligible to have an assisted death. 

Many people seeking an assisted death suffer from slow degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Motor Neurone Disease and cannot be said to have “only six months left to live”.  This study shows that more than half the UK residents going to Switzerland have such conditions, and would likely be ineligible under a UK assisted dying law requiring a six-month prognosis. 

The paper was published in the BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care. 

Trevor Moore, Chair of My Death, My Decision said:

“The next parliament must legislate to reflect overwhelming public support for assisted dying. We urge politicians to vote for an ethical and compassionate law that will not discriminate with arbitrary eligibility criteria. We know that many MPs have spoken with constituents with conditions like ALS, Huntington’s and Motor Neurone Disease, who want and deserve the right to have a dignified death on their own terms.

We need a law that would have worked for Tony Nicklinson and Paul Lamb, the men who fought for the right to receive assistance for their self-determined death through the courts and whose Supreme Court challenges remain landmark cases.”

Table 1 Diagnoses of UK Residents receiving an assisted death in Switzerland

Table 2 UK Residents with neurological diagnoses receiving an assisted death in Switzerland

The study:

Analysis was carried out by Marie-Claire Hopwood, palliative care consultant, Dr Graham Winyard, retired public health physician and former Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Colin Brewer, retired psychiatrist and former director of Westminster Hospital’s community alcoholism treatment service.

They analysed the diagnoses of UK residents who had an assisted death during periods between 2005 and 2022 at all three of the Swiss organisations that provide this service to non-residents of Switzerland to try to determine what proportion of them would have met that requirement. 

My Death, My Decision recommends that the UK legislation on assisted dying should be based on the following:

Any adult of sound mind who is intolerably suffering from an incurable, physical condition and has a clear and settled wish to die should have the option of an assisted death.

The Health and Social Care Committee is currently running an inquiry into assisted dying. It is likely to be published soon. 

Progress on assisted dying legislation is being made in Scotland, Jersey and the Isle of Man. Each jurisdiction is due to debate the issue next year.

Notes:

Members of the MDMD team, as well as individuals affected by the current law on assisted dying, are available for interview upon request

For further comment or information, media should contact Nathan Stilwell at nathan.stilwell@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk or phone 07456200033.

My Death, My Decision is a grassroots campaign group that wants the law in England and Wales to allow mentally competent adults who are terminally ill or intolerably suffering from an incurable condition the option of a legal, safe, and compassionate assisted death. With the support of over 3,000 members and supporters, we advocate for an evidence-based law that would balance individual choice alongside robust safeguards and finally give the people of England and Wales choice at the end of their lives.

Read more about our work with the Assisted Dying Inquiry: https://www.mydeath-mydecision.org.uk/2023/07/13/our-summary-the-assisted-dying-inquiry/ 

The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak chairing his first Cabinet this morning (c) Open Government Licence v3.0.

The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has said he would support allowing enough parliamentary time for a meaningful debate and vote on assisted dying. Mr Sunak also pledged to introduce assisted dying laws if parliament wanted to change the law, saying the government would “facilitate” it in a “legally effective” way.

My Death, My Decision welcomes the Prime Minister’s comments and will push for an assisted dying Private Member’s Bill to be introduced at the next opportunity.

Earlier this year the leader of the opposition, Keir Starmer, made a similar pledge of parliamentary time.

Trevor Moore, Chair of My Death, My Decision said:

“This is huge. Both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the opposition have now said they would make parliamentary time for a meaningful vote on assisted dying. This is welcome progress towards more compassionate end-of-life choices for people suffering unbearably from incurable conditions. 

With the vast majority of the public in favour of law change, voters from all parties have been pushing for a proper debate and vote on this crucial issue. It’s about time we stopped exporting compassion to Switzerland and gave suffering people the choice of how and when they wish their life to end.”

Sunak made the comments to campaigner Matt Ryan, 44, who told him that reforms could have eased the suffering his family faced when both his father, David Minns, and his sister, Katie, died from cancer.

There has not been a vote on assisted dying since 2015. The most recent attempt to change the law ended when a Bill in the House of Lords ran out of time in 2021. There are currently no votes or debates expected on this topic in this parliamentary term.

The Health and Social Care Committee is currently running an inquiry into assisted dying. The date of the report’s publication is likely to be announced soon. 

Progress on assisted dying legislation is being made in Scotland, Jersey and the Isle of Man. Each jurisdiction is due to debate the issue this year.

Notes:

Members of the MDMD team, as well as individuals affected by the current law on assisted dying, are available for interview upon request

For further comment or information, media should contact Nathan Stilwell at nathan.stilwell@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk or phone 07456200033.

My Death, My Decision is a grassroots campaign group that wants the law in England and Wales to allow mentally competent adults who are terminally ill or intolerably suffering from an incurable physical condition the option of a legal, safe, and compassionate assisted death. With the support of over 3,000 members and supporters, we advocate for an evidence-based law that would balance individual choice alongside robust safeguards and finally give the people of England and Wales choice at the end of their lives.

Read more about our work with the Assisted Dying Inquiry: https://www.mydeath-mydecision.org.uk/2023/07/13/our-summary-the-assisted-dying-inquiry/