Our position

Terminal illness

We believe the right law for the UK is one that allows dying people, with six months or less to live the option to control their death. We do not support a wider law.

Dying people are not suicidal – they don’t want to die but they do not have the choice to live. When death is inevitable, suffering should not be. Along with good care, dying people deserve the choice to control the timing and manner of their death.

Dying people not doctors in control

Assisted dying should be controlled by the dying person. Dying people should have support to take the final act that brings about their peaceful death.

We do not support a law that would allow anyone to end another’s life. This is an important protection to ensure that an assisted death is completely voluntary.

A safe and comfortable death

Dying people are already ending their lives to avoid painful and undignified deaths. Many pay thousands of pounds to travel abroad to guarantee a safe and peaceful death. They do so to access a proven and safe way to control their death with medical supervision.

Many cannot travel so risk a painful and gruesome death by ending their lives at home. Many more are suffering and dying without dignity because they have no choice.

We believe dying people should have the means to control their death safely and comfortably at home.

Respecting peoples consciences

Some healthcare professionals may not wish to support dying people to control their death. The law should respect this.

People who do not wish to support assisted dying shouldn’t be forced to do so.

A more compassionate country and NHS

As a country we have a long and proud history of providing free and compassionate healthcare. Forcing people to travel abroad and pay thousands of pounds for a dignified death is cruel and wrong.

Dying people deserve high quality end-of-life care and the choice of assisted dying.

A law proven to work

We believe that doctors, patients and the public need to have confidence that the law on assisted dying will work in practice, will be safe and will remain unchanged.

That is why we call for a law based on one that has worked safely in Oregon and has remained unchanged since 1997, a law that is now in place in California, Washington and other US states.

The Bill we push for is:

• limited to terminally ill and mentally competent adults
• requires the dying person to end their own life and does not permit another person to do it for them
• has a waiting period to give dying people time to reflect on their decision
• requires assessment by doctors and a high-court judge
• allows the dying person to die at home