Inside Dignitas assisted dying clinic - last supper, parting words and family 'torture'

Blur drummer Dave Rowntree's ex-wife Paola Marra died alone at Swiss clinic Dignitas following terminal illness - but what really happens at the controversial assistant dying clinic?

The ex-wife of Blur drummer Dave Rowntree felt she had no choice but to travel to a renowned assisted dying clinic - and she is not alone.

Paola Marra died at the Swiss clinic Dignitas in March this year after being diagnosed with both breast and bowel cancer. Before her death, the former music industry and charity sector worker, 53, teamed up with photographer Rankin to speak out about assisted dying and urge politicians to change the UK's current "cruel law" which criminalises assisted dying.

In a film released following her passing, she said: "When you watch this, I will be dead. I'm choosing to seek assisted dying because I refuse to let a terminal illness dictate the terms of my existence. The pain and suffering can become unbearable. It's a slow erosion of dignity, the loss of independence, the stripping away of everything that makes life worth living."

"Assisted dying is not about giving up. In fact, it's about reclaiming control. It's not about death, it's about dignity. It's about giving people the right to end their suffering on their own terms, with compassion and respect. So, as you watch this, I am dead. But you watching this could help change the laws around assisted dying."

In an accompanying open letter to party leaders at Westminster, Ms Marra said that, due to the current law, she had to travel to Dignitas alone because she did not want her loved ones "to be questioned by the police or get into trouble". The Canadian, who had lived in London for more than 30 years, wrote: "I resent that I don't have a choice. I think it's unfair and cruel. And for so many dying people who can't afford to pay an average of £15,000 to travel to Dignitas, this cruel law will force them to endure a painful death, or drive them to take their own lives."

And now, speaking out about his ex-wife's death for the first time, Blur star Dave has furiously berated the "brutal" decision people like his ex-wife face if they want to end their lives on their own terms but being unable to ask for help because of UK laws. The 60-year-old described the current legislation in this country as "psychopathic".

Several high-profile figures have shared their thoughts on assisted dying ahead of the second reading of the Assited Dying Bill's second reading scheduled for Friday, November 29. Dame Esther Rantzen, 84, who is currently having 'miracle' treatment for stage four lung cancer, previously revealed she signed up the clinic.

The broadcaster would follow in the footsteps of 650 Britons who have flown out to Switzerland to end their lives legally by euthanasia - an act that is banned in the UK, with a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. Assisted dying has long been campaigned for so that people with terminal illnesses or those suffering can have greater control over how and when they die. However those against the argument warn that a change in the law in this country could put vulnerable people in danger.

According to the Campaign for Dignity in Dying, research shows that between 300 and 650 dying people sadly take their own lives every year. But what is it really like at Dignitas? The not-for-profit organisation provides assisted dying for members who have illnesses "that will lead inevitably to death, unendurable pain or an unendurable disability". Members must have a 'reasoned request' and must provide medical evidence.

On their website, the clinic, located in Pfaeffikon near Zurich, whose strapline is 'to live with dignity, to die with dignity, reiterates that they follow strict processes and that in Switzerland, voluntary euthanasia is prohibited. They also say they can grant a reduction and exemption of paying costs if need be.

The clinic was featured in a 2016 BBC documentary How to Die: Simon's Choice, which followed successful businessman Simon Binner on his journey from his debilitating motor neurone disease to his heartbreaking assisted death. He had been living with the disease for 10 months before already announcing the date of his death and funeral.

As he took his life, he told the cameras: "Time and tide wait for no man, I love you very much Debbie. Goodbye." The film sparked complaints from charity Samaritans as it showed the moment he was smiling as he was administered the drug that induced his death. But viewers at home found the footage poignant.

Broadcaster Clare Balding revealed she was 'sobbing' watching his final moments while Fiona Phillips said watching his case showed the strength in the argument in favour of assisted death. Two years later, Simon's wife Deborah told BBC's Victoria Derbyshire that although she respected his decision, his death felt like "abandonment".

Every eight days a Brit travels to Dignitas for help to die, but those who go with their loved ones and are present during the process face the risk of prosecution. Mandy Appleyard took her mum to Dignitas to end her suffering, however two weeks after she returned, she was at the centre of a police investigation.

In February 2021, her mum Janet spent her £20,000 savings to head to Zurich via private jet to end her life. Reflecting on the day, Mandy said it was "a day of fathomless sadness, but, if all went to plan, one which would end her suffering".

Janet was immobile following a catastrophic stroke and had to rely on others. She had even asked Mandy to smother her with a pillow in desperation. Once at the clinic, she had examinations of her medical records and two "long" interviews with a Swiss doctor before Janet swallowed a deadly liquid designed to stop her heart.

She had reportedly been asked: 'Why did she want to die? Did she understand that the end of the Dignitas process was death? Did she want to go home and reflect?' Mandy told MailOnline that patients are greeted at the door of their chalet-style apartments before the interview process to establish they are there of their own free will.

Writing in the Mail about the moment she watched her mum pass, Mandy said that her mum had some cereal before taking the fatal concoction. She wrote: "There were kisses but no tears: Mum was holding it together, so we had to. She said matter-of-factly that she was ready for the drink... Her eyes closed and she fell unconscious within seconds.

"I looked across at my sister, her face contorted with sadness. We watched as Mum's chest rose and fell until, minutes later, it stopped. Our tears came, then we sat in silence. My mind was blank: I felt numb." The cost of using the service was £8,380 and their one-way flight set them back £12,000. Janet was cremated, with her remains posted back to England a week later.

Mandy's police enquiry continued for more than a year before the Crown Prosecution Service decided it was "not in the public interest to prosecute" her. She branded the process "torture" and called for the legalisation of assisted dying in the UK.

For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.