Hi

Sorry to disturb your Sunday, but I wanted to let you know about a front page story in today's Sunday Times that we have been working on.

With our support, a senior mental health professional with terminal breast cancer has written a powerful account of her plan to travel to Dignitas this week. She was only able to do so anonymously, for fear of her plans being jeopardised in any way, and she has been forced to travel prematurely in case further lockdown restrictions get in the way of her plans.

I really hope you get a chance to read her words, if you can please pick up a copy or read the story online (there is a paywall).

The comments below the article are also worth a read - they show the strength of support (please add your own comment and share the article if you can).

"By this time next week, I’ll be dead. Like many of the people who have succumbed to Covid-19 this year, I am being forced to die in the presence of strangers, in unfamiliar surroundings, without my husband, family or friends to comfort me.

In my case, however, it is the result of the antiquated laws on assisted dying in the UK, which have compelled me to travel to a foreign country to die alone."

This story comes as fifty senior medics write to the Sunday Times to join our calls for an inquiry into the UK's blanket ban on assisted dying.

After this week's fantastic news about New Zealand changing the law, this is a tragic reminder of the choice being denied to those living in the UK. Until we change the law this will happen again, and again.

That is not acceptable.

Best wishes,