Dignity in Dying announces additions to their Board including Professor of Nursing, Prof Dame Jill Macleod Clark, Dr Philip Hartropp, GP and Commissioner for end-of-life care, and the former deputy CEO of Macmillan Cancer Support, Paul Rossi

The members of Dignity in Dying have elected three new, highly influential individuals to help lead the campaign to improve patient choice and control at the end of life, including the option of an assisted death for terminally ill, mentally competent adults, within up-front safeguards. Paul Rossi, Prof Dame Jill Macleod Clark and Dr Philip Hartropp will join the eleven existing Board members in directing the organisation to further success.

Dame Jill Macleod Clark said

“I believe that the pursuit of legalised assisted dying for terminally ill, mentally competent adults is one of the most important political campaigns of this century.

“My professional experience has strongly influenced my belief that giving individuals the option of choice around assisted death is urgently required. This belief has been reinforced by my personal experience of supporting friends and family at the end of life. I have empathy with, and an insight into, the dilemmas facing doctors and nurses when prevented from offering the preferred care options to individuals because of legal constraints and have witnessed the impact of these constraints on patients and families who are striving to achieve the best possible death.”

Dr Philip Hartropp is a recently retired GP who specialized in Cancer and Palliative Care. Dr Hartropp said:

“I believe that dignity in dying will only be achieved when there is greater autonomy for patients to choose where and when they will die, when doctors and nurses are trained to the highest standards in providing Palliative care, when required equipment is obtained in a timely manner, and when a patient’s resuscitation decisions are both recorded and adhered to.”

Paul Rossi said:

“I am strongly committed to the very best palliative care being available to all who are terminally ill. Palliative care in the UK is amongst the best in the world, but I am also acutely aware of the limits of palliative care. Sometimes palliative medicine is just not good enough, and people wish to have available to them the option of ending their life at a time of their choosing and before they are overcome by the later stages of their terminal illness.”

Sarah Wootton, Chief Executive of Dignity in Dying welcomed their appointments:

“We are delighted to welcome Dr Hartropp, Dame Jill Macleod Clark and Paul Rossi to the Dignity in Dying Board. They all share Dignity in Dying’s vision that people should not have to suffer against their wishes at the end of life. We are confident that their expertise and passion for our campaign will help bring about a much needed change in the law on assisted dying sooner rather than later.”

Ends

Notes to editor:

About Dignity in Dying:

• Dignity in Dying campaigns for greater choice, control and access to services at the end of life. It advocates providing terminally ill adults with the option of an assisted death, within strict legal safeguards, and for universal access to high quality end-of-life care.

• Dignity in Dying has over 25,000 supporters and receives its funding entirely from donations from the public.

• The British Social Attitudes Survey 2010 found that 92% of non-religious and 71% of religious people support assisted dying. This relates to overall support of 82%.

Media Contacts:
For all Dignity in Dying media enquiries, please contact Jo Cartwright on 020 7479 7737 / 07725433025 or at jo.cartwright@dignityindying.org.uk.