In light of the proposed law to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill adults in England and Wales, put forward by Kim Leadbeater, English journalist and Founder of the Silver Line, Dame Esther Rantzen provides her thoughts. Rantzen advocates for legalising assisted dying in the UK, reflecting on personal experiences and international evidence to highlight the importance of respecting individual autonomy and ensuring a compassionate end-of-life choice for terminally ill patients.
Dame Esther Rantzen
English journalist and television presenter. Founder of Childline and The Silver Line.Those of us who have witnessed painful and distressing deaths of those close to us, when even the best palliative care could not alleviate their suffering and when they begged to be allowed to die, know that these agonising memories overwhelm precious recollections of happier times.
That is not the way I want my children to remember me. When I was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer I had to face the reality of my own mortality. And because I realised how important it is for me to have a good death, short and pain free, I signed up with Dignitas in Zurich. Even though the current criminal law means I will have to go to Switzerland alone, to save the loved ones who I would love to come with me from being investigated by the police. The law is a cruel mess at the moment.
The majority of the public know this. That is why in every survey they say they are in favour of legalising assisted dying. And many other countries have shown that is possible, including Australia, Ecuador, Spain, some states in the USA, the Netherlands, Canada, Belgium and Switzerland. Jersey and the Isle of Man are on their way. Each new law is slightly different, depending on the choice in each country.
Terminally Ill Adults Bill
The current Bill sponsored by Kim Leadbeater MP is an even tighter version of the law in Oregon which has been in place there for over twenty years. I know some opponents are worried about “a slippery slope”, that its scope may be extended over the years. But there here has been no such slope in Oregon. And our version, which only applies to terminally ill adults in the last six months of their life, their choice and diagnosis verified by two doctors and a judge, would have to go back to Parliament if any change were ever to be proposed.
I have received so many moving messages since I started campaigning for a change in the law. I’ve been sent emails of support from someone who watched their father vomiting faecal matter, from someone else whose partner spent ten days screaming in agony, from someone whose father in law jumped to his death from a railway bridge, and many more. They relived those tragic memories because they want to protect other patients and their families.
So Why do Some People Oppose Any Change?
Some faiths prohibit assisted dying, Islam and Catholicism for instance. Those should of course have the right to choose. But does that mean they have the right to impose their choice on those of us who do not share their faith?
Some disabled campaigners fear they will be pressured to die. But disabled people will not qualify under the terms of the Bill unless they are terminally ill and in the last six months of life. And surveys of disabled people find the majority want the choice to ask for help if they are terminally ill and dying in agony.
Some palliative care professionals fear the new Bill will damage their resources. The evidence from abroad proves the opposite. In some countries palliative care actually strengthened when assisted dying was legalised.
Wes Streeting, the Secretary of State for Health, says he fears the new Bill will add costs to the NHS. And that some patients will ask to die to save the NHS money. But these patients will be costing the NHS money because they will already be treated for their terminal illness. And although we love the NHS enough to stand on our doorsteps and clap, does he really believe that means we would die to save it money? And shouldn’t he be putting the needs of the individual patients first, and respect their wishes?
Final Thought
The debate is on Friday November 29th. If any MPs are in doubt which way to vote, I hope they will read the careful, objective report by the Health Select Committee which gathered evidence from around the world. And ask themselves if they would want the choice for themselves, or for those they love. The choice not to shorten their life, but to shorten their death.
For more opinion pieces on the upcoming Assisted Dying legislation, stayed tuned by visiting Chamber UK’s online journal.