My Death, My Decision campaigns for an assisted dying law that would give adults of sound mind, who are either incurably suffering or terminally ill, the option of an assisted death. We would press for any such law to include a robust set of safeguards to satisfy independent medical assessors that someone was fully informed and had made a well-considered and consistent request which was free from coercion. 

In many cases, those who request assisted deaths suffer from terminal illnesses. However, we do not believe that there is a strong moral case to limit this option solely to those with six months left to live. The option of an assisted death should be based on someone’s suffering, and life expectancy in and of itself says nothing about this.

You can read our full written submission to the Health and Social Care Committee here. Our submission was part of the 2022/23 public inquiry into Assisted Dying.

The current law on assisted dying is wrong. It is cruel, inhumane, and forces those who are terminally ill or intolerably suffering to endure unnecessary pain and distress. 

Our work aims to spotlight the experiences of those directly affected by the current law, and show that a kinder, fairer way forward is possible.

• Dignity: Passing the Bill will give terminally ill adults the choice and dignity of a compassionate death within the law. People with terminal illnesses will gain peace, knowing that if their suffering becomes too great, they have a choice.
• Autonomy: It’s your death, it should be your decision. Just as you already have a right to refuse treatment, no one else should have the right to stop you from choosing a safe and painless death.
• Compassion: We all participate in the suffering of those we love. A clear law will allow families to focus on quality time together that will never come again instead of distress.

All too often the voices of those most relevant to this debate – people living with intolerable suffering – are sidelined or shut out by our decision-makers considering assisted dying. We want to see a change in the law that respects the choices of both those with terminal illnesses and intolerable suffering. To broaden the debate and secure a lasting change in the law we have: 

• Commissioned independent research showing that support for assisted dying reform has more than doubled since 2014, and up to 88% of the public favour changing the law for those who are intolerably suffering
• Repeatedly briefed the UK Parliament on assisted dying, for example urging decision-makers to highlight the case of Phil Newby. Our work was also explicitly cited by one MP as a contributing factor to his change of heart
• Submitted expert evidence to Jersey’s Citizens’ Jury on assisted dying, dispelling myths about a lack of support for reform amongst the faith community and highlighting the case for an inclusive change in the law
• Worked with our patron Professor Wendy Savage to prompt a review into the British Medical Association’s stance on assisted dying. Subsequently, we also campaigned and organised an open letter from 30 doctors, philosophers, and academics calling for the BMA to drop its opposition, and helped to secure a landmark verdict: 40% of doctors voted for the BMA to actively support changing the law, 21% favoured a neutral stance, and only 33% voted for the BMA to remain opposed
• Co-founded the UK Assisted Dying Coalition – which brought together all the leading assisted dying groups in the UK and Crown Dependencies favouring a change in the law for those who are terminally ill and intolerably suffering.

You can support our campaign by becoming a member or by making a donation. As an entirely volunteer-led organisation we need financial support to keep our campaigns going. If you have a story to tell, or would like to support our campaign please get in touch campaigns@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk 

There are predominantly two models of assisted dying around the world. The first, most notably found in Oregon and some other parts of the United States and some states in Australia, only provides assistance to those who have six or fewer months left to live. The second, of which Canada is a prime example, provides assistance for people with both terminal or intolerable conditions. 

My Death, My Decision and the UK Assisted Dying Coalition campaign for the second form of assisted dying.

We do so for several reasons:

• We believe that there is a strong moral case to enable those who are intolerably suffering and have no prospect of improvement, to choose the manner and moment of their own death. The suffering of people with incurable conditions is no less severe than the suffering of those with terminal illnesses. If anything, it’s worse, since they will face longer periods of pain without reprieve.
• Legalising assisted dying for a very select number of people will fail to help those who are likely to need assistance the most. Without an inclusive change in the law, people with incurable conditions would still be forced to break the law by travelling to Switzerland, or lawfully end their lives through the inhumane prospect of starving themselves to death or other means.
• Limiting the option of an assisted death to those with six months left to live would be discriminatory. People who suffer in the same way, and seek the same degree of control over the end of their lives, but happen not to be terminally ill, still deserve to be treated with the same degree of dignity and respect in the eyes of our law
• 59% of UK doctors think assisted dying should be available to both those who are terminally ill and intolerably suffering. Doctors freely admit that they cannot accurately predict when someone only has six months left to live, but even if they could, there is no principled reason why someone is more deserving of a choice to end their life when they have six months left to live, rather than seven or eight – or even the torment of years of suffering. 
• In the final six months of life, people with degenerative brain conditions, such as dementia, often lack mental capacity and would be unable to request assistance. If someone has the certain knowledge that they face irreversible decline, we don’t believe a limited law should force them to suffer until the bitter end.
• An abundance of international evidence shows that assisted dying laws are most effective when they respect the choices of both those who are terminally ill and intolerably suffering. That’s why the vast majority of countries where assisted dying is legal do not have a six-month rule.