Get involved and write letters for Dignity in Dying

info@dignityindying.org.uk - 020 7479 7730

“It is because we believe in the dignity and value of life that we hope for a good death. This is what Dignity in Dying hopes to permit and I passionately support its aims. To linger on against my will on a half-life is no life at all.”A.N Wilson, Dignity in Dying Patron
“I see it as almost inevitable, that society will become more understanding, and more sophisticated, about assisted dying. As with suicide, it is right to strive to find better options, but when the alternatives have run out it must surely be wrong for society to insist that people suffer.”Nick Ross, Dignity in Dying Patron
“Being incapable of helping a loved one to die when they are at the end of their life, suffering and asking for help is undignified and wrong, and I know this having witnessed it myself at close hand.”Zoe Wannamaker, Dignity in Dying Patron
“My brother John Close died with help from Dignitas in May 2003, aged 55. Motor Neurone Disease had robbed John of almost everything which defined him as human, but the knowledge that he would be in control of his death was a source of great comfort to both of us.”Lesley Close, Dignity in Dying Patron
“My father, who was suffering from cancer and no longer wished to live, died as he chose: in peace and dignity, with my mother beside him. I passionately hope that, if I too were terminally ill, and was finding life unbearable, I could be allowed to die at a time of my choosing.”Rosemary Brown OBE, Dignity in Dying Patron
“I wish to be treated as a responsible adult and believe that people should be legally able to register their wish for an assistance with suicide, if needed. I support Dignity in Dying primarily to help change the law on assisted suicide.”Sir Michael Holroyd CBE, Dignity in Dying Patron
“As a child there existed in my mind a nagging fear about this thing called death. As I have become older, I want to give an assurance to the people I love that the circumstances of their death will be 'good', to be celebrated, and their final hours will be reflective of life well lived.”Jo Brand, Dignity in Dying Patron
“My work as a cancer physician inevitably brought me into contact with dying people. I think that assisted dying is an important choice to be offered in the rare situations where doctors are unable to control unbearable symptoms.”Dr Lisa McDonald, Dignity in Dying Patron
“My mother, Dr Anne Turner, chose to have an assisted death in 2006 at Dignitas in Zurich. Once my mother had been accepted for an assisted death, she was able to enjoy her life for the remaining time she had, greatly reassured that she would be spared further suffering.”Sophie Pandit, Dignity in Dying Patron
“I believe that the exercise of free will concerning the end of life, and the timing of the end of life, is an essential human freedom. I believe that while religious dogma may dictate or limit the choice of believers it should not be imposed on others.”Rabbi Dr Charles Middleburgh, Dignity in Dying Patron
“Having been a member of Dignity in Dying for thirty years I fully support the campaign to ensure that all people have, what they consider to be, a good death. The option of an assisted death at the end of life would provide the choice and control we all deserve.”Miriam Karlin OBE, Dignity in Dying Patron
“I endorse the work of Dignity in Dying because I believe passionately that any individual should have the right to choose, as far as it is possible, the time and the conditions of their death. I think it's time we learned to be as good at dying as we are at living.”Sir Terry Pratchett, Dignity in Dying Patron
“Knowing that most of us, it seems, want the freedom to choose when and how to end our lives so as to avoid, for ourselves and our families, the harrowing consequences of a messy, drawn-out and painful deaths, that choice must be enshrined in a framework of law.”Professor Eric Bolton CB, Dignity in Dying Patron
“Over many years, I have become convinced of the need for a change in the law to protect people with terminal illness who have made the painful decision to seek help in dying. This is why, once I left government, I joined Dignity in Dying and will go on supporting their campaign until we succeed.”Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt MP, Dignity in Dying Patron
“Having seen my father die, it became very clear to me that we as society need to grasp the nettle and deal with this contentious issue in a way that is humane and acceptable to the majority of right thinking people.”Matthew Wright, Dignity in Dying Patron
“As someone who helped her son to die when he could no longer face the suffering caused by Huntington's disease, I understand fully the need to have a safe, regulated right to die system that takes the pressure off family. After all, who would let their loved ones die alone?”Heather Pratten, Dignity in Dying Patron
“My wife, Diane Pretty, had the terminal illness motor neurone disease and wanted to receive medical assistance to die with dignity. During the last weeks of her life, Diane was in considerable pain and distress. The very thing she'd fought through the courts to avoid.”Brian Pretty, Dignity in Dying Patron
“I support Dignity in Dying because I care about suffering and want the law changed so that those who presently suffer terrible deaths will in future have the option to end their suffering through ending their lives at a time and in the manner of their choice.”Lord Joffe, Dignity in Dying Patron
“As a doctor for over 35 years, I became increasingly aware of the failure of even the best care to deal with the suffering of some patients. The present clinical, ethical, and legal fudge - and a law which is discredited in practice - is dangerous for patients and also for professionals.”Professor Raymond Tallis, Dignity in Dying Patron
“I believe that decisions about the timing and manner of death belong to the individual as a human right. I believe it is wrong to withhold medical methods of terminating life painlessly and swiftly when an individual has a rational and clear-minded sustained wish to end his or her life.”Professor A C Grayling, Dignity in Dying Patron

Writing letters for Dignity in Dying

Letter writing works

Many campaigning organisations use letter writing as a powerful tool to raise awareness of a particular cause or problem. Letters highlight public opinion, they are your opportunity to share your concerns with key stakeholders and enable you to influence public policy on all aspects of end-of-life care.

Who should I write to?

Along with writing to your MP, from time to time, we will run campaigns asking you to write to other key stakeholders. They may be urgent appeals, to write to the Prime Minister, or they may be more long term campaigns, for example writing to your Primary Care Trust to ask them to create a register for Advance Decisions. All our campaigns and requests for you to write letters will be featured on our website under 'Act Now' and in our newsletter.

Effective letters

Personal letters are far more effective than sample letters produced by Dignity in Dying.

They should be succinct, reasonable and encourage a response. Some general tips to consider are:

Try and keep letters brief, factual and polite.
Be positive - write the letter as though the reader is open to reasoned argument.
Feel free to write a little about yourself, especially if you have personal experience of a good or bad end-of-life care.
If you want to, you can mention that you are a member/supporter of Dignity in Dying.
Ask a question at the end of the letter to encourage a response.
Always give your full name and address and state that you are a constituent.
Use Dignity in Dying copy if you need ideas on what to write but where possible, try and put this in to your own words.

What to do with a reply

When writing to your MP, if you receive a particularly positive response, please forward a copy of your letter to Dignity in Dying. A key milestone to achieving a change in the law will be to identify a number of supportive MPs.

If you receive a response you are unhappy with, either because this is a very brief response, a negative response or a standard response sent to all constituents, do challenge this. We know that many MPs when first contacted about an issue will send a standard response. We also know that many MPs formulate their opinion on our work based on misguided fears and/or personal faith. It is important for your MP to engage with this issue, above and beyond issuing a standard line. We know that the evidence is in our favour and if you are able to reinitiate contact with your MP, you can make a real difference. A correspondence, as opposed to an exchange of opinion can make a real impact.

If you need guidance or advice on challenging a response you have received, please contact us.

Alternatively, suggest meeting with your MP to discuss the reasons behind the negative response. Meeting MPs face to face can be incredibly powerful. One of our supporters, Lisa Cook, felt she was able to move her MP from a 'no' to an 'on the fence' stance regarding assisted dying following a meeting with him.

If you have written to someone else in response to one of our campaigns, please let us know what response you get. It is important we are able to measure the impact of our campaigns and supporters who receive a response often hold important information for us.

Other ways to get involved in our campaigns

There are a number of other ways you can get involved in campaigning with Dignity in Dying. Campaign activities include sharing your personal story with us on our website, setting up or attending a local group in your area, or joining the Patient Representative Group at your local Primary Care Trust.

If you would like to become more actively involved in campaigning with Dignity in Dying, please contact Emily Halsall on emily.halsall@dignityindying.org.uk or on 020 7479 7732, for more information.