REVEALED: Three people from NI travel to Dignitas since 2002

By Tara Griffiths

A Londonderry woman is calling for legislation to be changed in Northern Ireland to allow assisted dying in certain circumstances.

Theresa Kelly was speaking as we reveal hundreds of people from the UK have travelled to Switzerland for an assisted death since 2002, including three from Northern Ireland.

There were two from County Antrim and one from County Down, according to a report from the Assisted Dying Coalition.

Assisted dying is illegal in Northern Ireland, punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

The Department of Health says it remains a criminal offence here and there are currently no plans to change that.

However, there are ongoing debates about legalising it in some circumstances in certain countries like Ireland, Scotland and France.

The issue has also been brought into the spotlight recently by broadcaster Esther Rantzen, after she revealed she has stage four cancer.

She is calling for changes in UK legislation to allow a 'pain-free, dignified, private, death.'

Londonderry woman Theresa Kelly says she would be in favour of assisted dying, after watching her sister Sarah die from cancer:

"Watching her for the last five/six weeks of her life was something that I would not wish on anyone, it was so, so difficult."

Theresa praised the work of Northern Ireland nurses and healthcare staff who looked after Sarah:

"This is not me saying that palliative care does not work, palliative care can work but for some people it is not enough.

"About two weeks before she died she told the Consultant 'I just want it to be over.'

She tells us her family considered assisted dying for Sarah in the last few weeks of her life:

"Emma, her daughter and I actually sat and thought: 'Is there anything we can do to help her?'

"We were actually considering trying to help her on her way and I was thinking the fear of being arrested is not going to dissuade me and she was like 'no I don't want to leave that behind me."

Religious groups say any change in the law would put vulnerable people at risk.

Simon Calvert, a deputy director of The Christian Institute, said:

“Those lobbying for assisted suicide may claim they are showing compassion to those who are suffering towards the end of their lives, but the reality is nothing short of dystopian.

“It’s well known that those who are elderly, sick or disabled can feel like a burden on their families and the NHS. Removing end-of-life protections would make vulnerable people believe it’s in everyone’s best interests that their lives are cut short.

“It will hasten the deaths of thousands. Jurisdictions across Europe and North America have invariably seen eligibility criteria widening, often staggeringly quickly and the numbers of people dying rising year on year. Why would Scotland be any different?

“Many with degenerative illnesses or incorrect prognoses have spoken of how glad they are that assisted suicide was not available to them because in their darkest moments they would have taken that option, and then missed out on years of making happy memories with their friends and family. We ought to ensure that people in these difficult situations have access to the highest quality treatments or palliative care, rather than, as a society, telling them their lives are not worth living.

“I wish those campaigning so hard for sick people to commit suicide would invest their time and money in campaigning for improvements to healthcare instead.”