Activities
Dignity in Dying campaigns for patient choice at the end-of-life and supports palliative care and increased funding and provision of hospice care. It also campaigns for new legislation to permit assisted dying within strict safeguards, and promotes the concept and use of advance decisions in England and Wales. The group has repeatedly published opinion polls showing considerable public support for a change to the law on assisted dying, as well as showing support from doctors and disabled people.
Dignity in Dying's stated view is that everyone has the right to a dignified death. They interpret this to mean:
- Everybody should be able to choose where they die, who else would be present at that time and the treatment options they would welcome or not.
- A person should have access to information on their end-of-life options from qualified experts and their carers, family and friends should also be able to access high quality care and support.
- Ultimately an individual should have the right to plan for and then take personal control over their own death, including the medication and pain relief they wish to receive or not.
Dignity in Dying also outline how they go about their campaign:
- They encourage their supporters to campaign for a change to the current laws so that a terminally ill, mentally competent adult who feels their suffering has become unbearable can opt for an assisted death, subject to strict rules and safeguards.
- They will lobby politicians and other decision makers, and look to educate legal and healthcare professionals and the public in general to support this drive towards obtaining a comprehensive national end-of-life strategy and working procedures.
- They would generally attempt to empower terminally ill people (and their families and friends) so that they can obtain a better experience as their end-of-life approaches, including access to information on current rights and such devices as Advance Decisions.
Read more about this topic: Dignity In Dying
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