'My mum overdosed in 'excruciating pain' - she should not have died alone on her bathroom floor'

George Smith whose mother died alone on bathroom floor calls for change on government policy on assisted dying, as Carolyn Sim reports

The son of a woman who overdosed while in "excruciating pain" has said she should not have had to die alone on her bathroom floor.

George Smith, said, his mother, from Essex, had been denied the opportunity to have a peaceful death surrounded by loved ones, due to the law as it stands.

He said: “I am angry in that she had to die alone on her bathroom floor, but I’m at peace because she was lucky – and that sounds ironic – that she appears to have died peacefully.

“She put on her best clothes, she put on her favourite jewellery. She made a bed on the floor of her small bathroom.”

The 80-year-old had a nerve condition, called trigeminal neuralgia which sees sufferers endure an electric shock-like pain in their bodies in sudden attacks which her family said would sometimes see her fall to the floor.

She had previously undergone a “hugely invasive operation” which had given her pain relief for some years, but her son said the attacks had returned and she “did not want to go through that (surgery) again”.

Mr Smith said: “We were aware that the pain was coming back, but she was telling us that it was manageable. But after she had taken her life, it transpired in her beautiful, articulate letter, explaining that it had just got too much, and she had kept that from us.”

His mother, who had owned a record shop, was a “very positive, upbeat person who lived a simple, basic life, but a happy life”.

He said: “That’s what I’d like to get across. My mother was not a depressed woman at all. On the contrary, yeah, she considered herself very lucky.”

As MPs prepare to consider a new bill on choice at the end of life, Mr Smith appealed to them to listen to stories like his and vote for new legislation.

Assisted Dying: What is happening at Westminster with the new Bill?

A bill to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales will be formally introduced in the House of Commons this week, returning the divisive debate to parliament.

The definition of the term, and the language used, varies.

Pro-change campaigners Dignity in Dying say it allows a person with a terminal condition the choice to control their death if they decide their suffering is unbearable.

But the campaign group Care Not Killing uses the terms “assisted suicide” and “euthanasia”, and argues that the focus should be on “promoting more and better palliative care” rather than any law change.

Discussing the Bill in the Commons today, Labour MP Kim Leadbeater’s said the law would have “clear criteria, safeguards and protections”, the MP behind a new Bill has insisted in the face of concerns about a so-called “slippery slope” to take in people who are at risk of feeling pressured to end their lives.

Only those who are terminally ill would be eligible under the Bill, it has been confirmed, amid calls from some campaigners for those enduring unbearable suffering to come within the scope of a new law.

MPs will debate and vote on the proposals at the end of November.

He said: “It’s a personal choice, and that my mother would have, and us as a family, would have loved to have said goodbyes.

“In a medical environment where there would have been guarantees, where we could have been with her and shared our last moments, if that’s what she had wanted, which we think she would have done, and we as a family certainly would have wanted that.

“And we were denied all of that. And this law, if it’s widened to cover incurable pain, we’d have been protected and we would have got that and that’s what my mum would have wanted. And that’s certainly what I would want if I find myself in a similar position.”

He said: “If you think about it, incurable pain is almost worse than terminal illness, because with terminal illness, at least you know there’s an end, whereas with incurable pain there’s no end in sight.”

He said the most vulnerable in society must “absolutely” be protected “and the law must be robust enough that it covers that”, but he added there must be a way to offer choice to people like his mother.

Campaigners opposed to a change in the law have voiced concerns about some groups, including the disabled and the elderly, being vulnerable to coercion.

The detail of the proposed legislation is expected at a later date, with Labour MP Kim Leadbeater having pledged to consult widely before bringing it to Parliament for debate and a vote, but Mr Smith said it must extend to those with incurable suffering.

Christian Action Research and Education (Care) has argued that it is “vitally important” people get the right care but that “assisted suicide is not the response dying people deserve”.

Ross Hendry, its chief executive, said: “This practice denies the intrinsic value of human life and sends a message that some lives aren’t worth living.

“Disabled people, professionals working with vulnerable adults, and many others find the prospect of a law change frightening.

“No number of safeguards could remove the threat of vulnerable people being coerced into ending their lives.

“Neither could they prevent people choosing to die because they feel like a burden, or because they don’t have support.”

If you or anyone who know is experiencing feelings included in this story, call the Samaritans on 116 123 for free, 24 hours a day.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know…