• DEATH, the inevitable and unwavering destination toward which we are all rapidly hurtling.

For those of us unfortunate enough to witness a person once full of vitality slowly succumb to the perils of disease and terminal illness, the experience can be shocking, distressing, but also eye-opening.

One is forced to confront some of the most profound questions:

What do we mean by quality of life?

Where do the limits of our liberty extend?

Who makes the decisions in our waning months?

As a member of Dignity in Dying, (www.dignityindying.org.uk) a group campaigning for the assisted dying bill, (https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3774*) I hold the belief that the wishes of the person whose death is approaching should be central to their treatment.

Who is better placed than me to decide whether the quality of my life is enough to stay alive?

A complete menu of options should be available when it comes to treatment, and currently that list isn’t and won’t ever be complete until assisted dying is included.

Pain can be excruciating and the potent cocktail of medications used for relief often renders one barely alive, barely conscious, unable to do the things they love and which make life meaningful.

It’s naive to think that modern medicine can or will ever be the panacea to all the suffering we are capable of experiencing; it’s also paternalistic and downright condescending to tell someone that you know better than they do when it comes to their treatment.

Giving us the right to exert some control over the journey of death is the ultimate kindness, an empowering gift of dignity and self-determination, enabling us to go out on our own terms and be remembered the way we want to be.

Permitting this right comes with important safeguarding considerations, and the bill has been designed to be the most robust and comprehensive piece of legislation the world has seen, drawing insights from the significant number of countries who have already instituted this policy.

What can you do? While the bill passed in the second reading of the House of Commons it may still fall. Although 75 per cent of the public agree with assisted dying, our democratic system doesn’t always guarantee that the will of the people prevails.

Reaching out to your MP, sharing your views and desire for the *Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill to pass may make the all important difference.

Please act now!

MATTHEW ARAM
Address supplied