The Assisted Dying Coalition has today launched a report showing the flow of people from the UK that go to Dignitas for an assisted death.
The report shows a breakdown of where people live before travelling to Switzerland to access an assisted death at Dignitas. The report highlights disparities in opportunity to access an assisted death based on geography, with people from higher income local authorities and people from places with good travel connections, being more likely to travel to Dignitas. With an average cost of £15,000 for an individual to access an assisted death, it is unsurprising that these inequities exist.
Nathan Stilwell, Secretariat for the Assisted Dying Coalition, said:
‘This report clearly shows that the UK’s assisted dying law is broken, brutal and barbaric. We must stop exporting compassion to Switzerland and give choice, freedom and dignity to the people in this country who are suffering.
Having a postcode lottery to end suffering, and an unequal system, where only the rich and physically able can take advantage, is absolutely wrong. 31 jurisdictions around the world, accessible to nearly 400 million people, prove that compassionate options are available.
Adults of sound mind, who are intolerably suffering from a physical, incurable condition deserve the freedom and right to have a dignified end-of-life choice on their own terms.’
You can read the report here: Disparity in UK residents having an assisted death in Switzerland – Assisted Dying Coalition
