British Dignitas membership soars by 24% as Scotland could be the first UK ... trends now
View
comments
Dignitas membership in the UK soared by 24 per cent last year – as assisted dying legislation yesterday came closer in Scotland.
There were 1,900 registered British members in 2023, a rise of 372 on the previous year, according to figures.
Also last year, there were 40 UK residents who travelled to its clinic in Switzerland to die, Dignitas revealed.
The UK ranks second behind Germany both in the number of its nationals registered as members and the total number of people who have made the trip.
Overall, 1,454 people had travelled from Germany, while there were 571 from the UK and 549 from France.
The UK ranks second behind Germany both in the number of its nationals registered as members and the total number of people who have made the trip to Dignitas assisted suicide clinic (pictured)
The figures cover 1998 to 2023. However, fewer from Germany have opted to die at Dignitas, dropping into the single digits in recent years.
But the number travelling from the UK has risen, as has that of France which saw 50 citizens make the journey for an assisted death last year. It comes as legislation was published at Holyrood that looks to begin the process of Scotland becoming the first nation in the UK to legalise assisted dying.
Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur introduced the Bill which is likely to be voted on by MSPs later this year – it came after a consultation found 76
