Compassion in Dying

Compassion in Dying
Name	Compassion in Dying
Formation	1990s
Type	Nonprofit advocacy
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Region served	United Kingdom
Leader title	Chief Executive

Compassion in Dying is a United Kingdom–based nonprofit advocacy organization focused on end-of-life care, advance decisions, and assisted dying policy. Founded amid debates influenced by legal cases and political figures, it operates at the intersection of health law, clinical practice, and patient rights. The organisation engages with courts, legislatures, regulatory bodies, and professional associations to advance its aims.

History

The organisation emerged during a period shaped by landmark cases and public figures such as Tony Bland, Karen Ann Quinlan, Nancy Cruzan, Lord Donaldson of Lymington, and events like the Shipman Inquiry and the Bristol heart scandal. Early activism paralleled campaigns by groups including Dignitas, Exit International, Humanists UK, Compassion & Choices (US), and legal challenges in courts such as the European Court of Human Rights and the House of Lords (UK Parliament). High-profile debates involved politicians like Nick Clegg, Theresa May, Keir Starmer, and David Cameron, and intersected with legislation such as the Suicide Act 1961 and debates over the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill. The organisation’s tactics and milestones occurred alongside rulings from judges including Lord Chief Justice Woolf and interventions by bodies like the General Medical Council and the British Medical Association.

Mission and Activities

The stated mission aligns with principles articulated by advocates such as Dame Cicely Saunders, Dame Joan Bakewell, Atul Gawande, Peter Singer, and organisations like Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie (charity), and Age UK. Activities include public education, litigation funding similar to strategies used by Liberty (British advocacy group) and Amnesty International, policy submissions to committees including the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee, and collaboration with research institutions such as King's College London, University of Oxford, and University of Cambridge on end-of-life studies. The group liaises with professional regulators including the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the Care Quality Commission.

Legal and Ethical Issues

Legal debates encompass precedent-setting cases involving figures like Tony Nicklinson, Philippa Foot philosophical discussions, and rulings from courts such as the High Court (England and Wales) and the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. Ethical discourse engages ethicists such as Tom Shakespeare, Margaret Somerville, Derek Humphry, and academic centres like the Nuffield Council on Bioethics and the Oxford Centre for Ethics and Law in Health. Key legal instruments and institutions referenced in deliberations include the Human Rights Act 1998, the Mental Capacity Act 2005, and guidance from the Royal College of Physicians and the British Psychological Society. International comparisons draw on jurisprudence from Canada, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, and rulings by the European Court of Human Rights.

Services and Support Programs

Support programs mirror initiatives found in organisations such as Marie Curie (charity), Sue Ryder, and Macmillan Cancer Support, offering guidance on advance decisions, lasting powers of attorney governed by the Office of the Public Guardian, and resources for clinicians in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance. The organisation provides legal information used by solicitors and barristers practising in courts such as the Court of Protection (United Kingdom) and collaborates with hospital trusts including Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and Great Ormond Street Hospital for clinician training. It also publishes materials that reference frameworks from the World Health Organization and research partners like Lancet and BMJ authors.

Campaigns and Public Advocacy

Campaigns have involved public figures such as Sir Patrick Stewart, Jo Brand, Dame Judi Dench, Stephen Fry, and Sir Elton John-style celebrity advocacy patterns, and engaged political actors from parties including the Conservative Party (UK), Labour Party (UK), Liberal Democrats (UK), and Scottish National Party. Public petitions and initiatives have been submitted to bodies like Number 10 Downing Street and debated in forums such as the BBC, The Guardian, The Times, and parliamentary debates in the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Campaign strategies referenced comparative campaigns by Patients' Rights advocates and international organisations such as Compassion & Choices (US) and Dignitas.

Organizational Structure and Funding

The organisation’s governance includes a board of trustees and executive leadership interacting with funders and donors similar to arrangements seen in Wellcome Trust, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and charitable trusts such as the Nuffield Foundation. Funding sources have included philanthropic grants, public donations, and legal defence funds, with oversight comparable to other charities regulated by the Charity Commission for England and Wales and scrutiny from auditors and watchdogs like UK Public Accounts Committee. Partnerships have been formed with academic centres at University College London and health services such as NHS England for research and service development.

Controversies and Criticism

Criticism has come from medical, religious, and legal quarters including organisations such as the Catholic Church in England and Wales, the Church of England, the British Medical Association, disability rights groups like Not Dead Yet-style advocacy, and commentators such as Fiona Bruce (politician), Ann Widdecombe, and ethicists including Margaret Somerville. Debates have cited comparisons to practices in Switzerland and cases involving Dignitas and prompted Parliamentary inquiries, media investigations by outlets including ITV and Channel 4, and legal challenges in courts such as the Court of Appeal (England and Wales). Concerns raised include safeguards, potential impacts on vulnerable populations, and clinical ethics as debated in forums like the Royal Society and the Nuffield Council on Bioethics.

Category:Non-profit organisations based in the United Kingdom