VES lobbies Government and MPs to change
the law to improve patient choice at the end of life, to help take
away the fear of the process of dying and to stop needless suffering.
Every year, hundreds of terminally ill people contact us for advice
and guidance on how to retain control over the end of their lives.
When you are terminally ill you are often too ill to leave your
home or even your bed. This makes it hard to protest, petition your
MP or otherwise get your voice heard. Always working within the
law, we work alongside people such as the late Diane
Pretty and help get their voices and concerns heard in Parliament. We argue for honesty and transparency
in end-of-life decision making, to better protect vulnerable people.
Currently we are backing the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill [HL] 2004 which is progressing through the House
of Lords.
We also defend patients’ legal rights over refusing life-prolonging
medical treatment and having their Living Wills respected.
“I am slowly dying
of cancer. I have breast cancer with bone secondaries and
am in pain despite palliative drugs. Changing the law means
a great deal if you are in my position, and have to contemplate
the awful alternatives of a violent, premature suicide or
a long, drawn-out, and in my opinion undignified, death.” Former nurse Jane MacDonald on why she supports the
VES campaign.
