An average of one Briton a fortnight travels to Switzerland for assisted suicide, according to a study from Zurich University. Between 2008 and 2012, 126 Britons visited Swiss clinics to end their lives, accounting for a fifth of all foreign nationals using such facilities. The total number of foreigners travelling to Switzerland for assisted dying rose from 123 in 2008 to 172 in 2012.
Euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal in the UK, but Switzerland permits assisted suicide under certain conditions. Over the five-year period, 611 people from 31 countries took advantage of Swiss laws. British patients were the second largest national group after Germans. The study, based on data from the Zurich Institute of Legal Medicine, found that nearly all used the Dignitas clinic.
Nearly 60% of clients were women, with an average age of 69, though ages ranged from 23 to 97. Sarah Wootton, chief executive of Dignity in Dying, said the figures highlight a problem with UK law. 'It's clearly unethical to force dying Britons to travel abroad to die,' she said, adding that the UK should regulate assisted dying to ensure patient safety.
Six right-to-die organisations operate in Switzerland, four of which serve foreign nationals. Assisted suicide is legal if the helper does not personally benefit. Dignitas charges between £6,000 and £7,000 for its services. The issue was recently debated in the House of Lords after Lord Falconer proposed an Assisted Dying Bill for terminally ill patients with six months to live, but opponents argue safeguards are inadequate.
