Craig Scott’s father, Ivan, carried a do not resuscitate request with him everywhere – even before he became ill.
So when doctors told Ivan he was ready for end-of-life care, Craig was not surprised “in the least” to discover Ivan had asked doctors about euthanasia.
His request, of course, was refused. Assisted dying remains illegal in Britain.
After witnessing his father’s painful death, Craig is now one of a growing number of activists fighting to change that. From this week they might be closer than ever to achieving their goal, as a private member’s bill to permit assisted dying in the UK is presented to the House of Commons.
In this episode of Insight, a new weekly series from the New Statesman podcast, Kate Lamble hears Craig’s story and speaks to two senior palliative care professionals – Nancy Preston and Katharine Sleeman – to discuss whether Britain is ready for assisted dying.
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