Prue Leith shared the emotional story of her brother’s “dreadful” death as she pleaded with MPs to change the law on assisted dying at an event in parliament.
Her sibling David passed away while suffering with “excruciatingly painful” bone cancer 12 years ago.
The Bake Off judge said his last months of his life consisted of a “vicious circle” of catching pneumonia, receiving hospital treatment, then going home before it started again.
“David did finally manage to die by refusing any more antibiotics and waiting for the next dose of pneumonia, which did kill him,” she said.
“Dying of pneumonia is a horrible death. Basically your lungs fill up with mucus and you drown in your own phlegm. It’s horrible to watch and must be excruciating to bear.”
She begged MPs to use the opportunity to listen to the lived experiences of people at the event hosted by Dignity in Dying.
She said: “The wonderful thing about today is there are so many people in this room whose stories show you that a change in the law is really necessary.
“So I beg the MPs among you not to gossip - I know MPs like nothing better than a good gossip - so do not gossip to each other, could you rather seek out the people who can tell you what it’s like to live with terminal illness or bear stories of it.
“Please listen to them and please pledge to take action. We have to make sure, this next time, parliament guarantees is the time for the issue to be properly debated.”
It comes after Dame Prue featured in a Channel 4 documentary with her son Danny Kruger, the Tory MP for Devizes in Wiltshire, where they discussed their opposing views, as he is against legalising assisted dying.
While admitting they did not change each other’s minds, she said yesterday: “The thing that was so heart lifting for me was wherever we went in North America and also in Canada, what we found was there is a better way.
“There is a way to do this if you combine excellent palliative care with the option of a peaceful death in your own home at the time of your choosing with your family around you, who would not choose that?
“I don’t think there’s any debate about that, almost everybody would like it.”
James Johnson, who has campaigned for Dignity in Dying, also shared the story of his mum who was terminally ill with Vasculitis Disease.
He said his mum was “cared for brilliantly by the NHS” but “was in unbearable pain” and decided to use the remainder of her life savings on a £15,000 assisted death at Dignitas in Switzerland.
Mr Johnson said the question that needed asking in the debate in the UK was: “When we know a person is terminally ill, are we condemning that dying person to inhumane suffering at the end of their life?
“Are we forcing them into pursuing a legal and safe death in another country entirely?”
He said: “I call on MPs from all parties to do the right thing, to listen to people and that’s dying people and their families and start this debate on assisted dying, so that nobody else has to experience what she and I have been through.”
Sarah Wootton, chief executive at Dignity in Dying, said the Isle of Man and Jersey were both taking “pivotal votes” on assisted dying within the next year.
She said Scotland will have a debate on it, the Republic of Ireland has set up a special parliamentary committee for it and a citizens’ assembly in France has reported a majority support for a change in the law.
Her list continued: “Portugal legalised last week, Spain legalised the year before last. Australia and New Zealand and Canada and America all offer choice at the end of life.”
Ms Wootton told MPs to “take the example of our compassionate neighbours”, adding: “So to politicians in this room, and to candidates, and there are many, who will become MPs next year, my message to you is to make sure that the next Westminster Parliament counts for something.
“Take the opportunity to transform end of life choice in the UK. Take the opportunity to do the right thing for dying people.
“The people want this - 84% of the British public want the choice of assisted dying. Your electorate wants change. It's now time for politicians to deliver choice. It's now time for political action in Westminster.”
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