Terminally ill have been failed, says man set to end life early
A terminally ill man who plans to travel to Switzerland to end his life before the year is out says legislators have so far “failed” people on assisted dying laws.
David Peace, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2019, can no longer speak or swallow, receives nutrition through a tube into his stomach, and fears choking to death every day.
The 73-year-old, from Westminster, said he is reluctantly choosing to end his life prematurely so he is spared “intolerable” suffering in future.
The current law means he needs to travel abroad before his disease progresses to the extent that he cannot manage the journey or administer the medication.
He hopes to travel to Dignitas in Switzerland in the next two months.
Mr Peace, who communi
cates by text to voice software on his ipad, was interviewed by email.
He said: “Reluctantly I’m being propelled to bring forward my death by the relentless attacks on my body, with no hope of relief or cure, and no legal or dignified remedy in Britain other than continual suffering with more and more pills, opiates and sedation, tubes into the throat and other intervention.”
He added: “If the law in the UK were different my life would be longer and my end of life would not entail the hassle and difficulty of international travel at the most vulnerable point in my life.”
In Scotland, a consultation is underway on the Assisted Dying Bill lodged by Lib Dem MSP Liam Mcarthur. Holyrood has twice voted down attempts to introduce similar legislation, but Mr Mcarthur insisted there are “strong safeguards” in his proposals – which are supported by Dignity in Dying Scotland, Friends at the End and the Humanist Society Scotland.
Those who oppose a law change say it would place pressure on people to end their lives and that the current laws protect the vulnerable.
Mr Peace said the legislation is needed to “rectify the dire lack of choice and control” for people with terminal illnesses, and it would offer them “a true choice”.
A change in the law is “long overdue”, he said, adding: “Our legislators have failed us thus far.”