Can a doctor help me die? - Dignity in Dying

info@dignityindying.org.uk - 020 7479 7730

“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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 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
“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 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
“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
“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
“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 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
“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
“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
“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

Can a doctor help me die?

If you are thinking of ending your life

If you are considering ending your life, we highly recommend that you talk to your attending health professionals about the care and support you are receiving. It may be that there is more that the health professionals can do to help you manage your condition or illness. You may also wish to speak to a support organisation such as the Samaritans about your feelings. You can contact the Samaritans by telephone on 08457 90 90 90, by email to jo@samaritans.org or by writing to them at Chris, PO Box 9090, Stirling, FK8 2SA. Alternatively, do contact us directly on 020 7479 7730 to talk about your concerns (our office opening hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday). Please note that we cannot provide you with information or assistance to end your life.

Double effect and the doctor's dilemma

If you are suffering from an illness, doctors may prescribe and administer pain relief. In some cases doctors administer high amounts of pain relief to alleviate pain while at the same time knowing this could hasten the death of the patient. The intention of the doctor is to relieve pain even though death is foreseeable. This is called the doctrine of double effect and it is lawful. The key point is that the law turns on what the doctor intended.

Recent research shows that around one third of people who die every year receive pain relief which may have accelerated their death. This practice is unregulated and can sometimes lead to patients dying more quickly than relatives had anticipated so that they do not get to say goodbye to their loved one.

Under the current law the doctor's actions are judged by their intentions. There is no need for the doctor to tell the patient that they will be using double effect when they administer pain relief, or to get permission from the family or other doctors, or to record afterwards that he knew the patient would die. This is why some doctors feel comfortable with the law of double effect. It does not usually enquire deeply into how they act.

If the patient asks their doctor for help to die, then the doctor is placed in a very difficult situation. If the doctor helps even using pain relief medication, the doctrine of double effect will no longer apply. In all probability the doctor will have acted compassionately but at great risk to themself. So there is a conspiracy of silence at the end of life. Neither the patient nor the doctor can explore all the patient's concerns, for fear that the patient may ask for help to die, which is the one thing the doctor cannot do.

Pain relief

As the law currently stands no person can insist on medical treatment. This is the case even for pain relief. Some doctors fear they could be prosecuted for murder by prescribing pain relief medication if the authorities take the view that the level of medication prescribed was too high. Consequently sometimes people fail to get adequate pain relief. Should you or a relative be in this situation, please let us know since we are trying to establish how widespread the problem is.

You can contact us on 020 7479 7730 or use our free online contact form.