Dignity in Dying welcomes Government’s commitment to greater choice at the end of life

Yesterday, the Government set out its Draft Legislative Programme “Building Britain’s Future” for the next Parliamentary session. This included a commitment from the Government to look at whether they can create a right for patients to choose to die at home.

Sarah Wootton, Chief Executive of Dignity in Dying says:
“This could be another significant step forward for patient choice at the end of life. The Government is now implementing the end of life care strategy, and to be able to add the right for patients to choose to die at home to the strategy would be very positive.

“In 2007 Healthcare for London found that 57% of people would prefer to die at home, but only 20% do , and Dignity in Dying frequently hears from people who want control over where they spend their final days, so this could benefit a huge number of people.

“A right to die at home would require increasing resources for end of life care. We hope that in this difficult financial time that end of life care will be a priority and that this aspiration will become a reality so that many more people can have what they consider to be a good death.”

-Ends-

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 100,000 supporters and receives its funding entirely from donations from the public.
– Opinion polls consistently show that at least 80% of the UK population supports a change in the law on assisted dying.

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