UK elderly couple opts for double 'suicide pods' in Switzerland after wife's dementia diagnosis

The elderly couple will head to Switzerland for their assisted suicide. (Representational)

An elderly British couple, Peter and Christine Scott, have chosen to end their lives together in a double suicide pod in Switzerland. The couple, married for 46 years, made this choice after Christine, 80, was diagnosed with early-stage vascular dementia.

Peter Scott, an 86-year-old former RAF engineer, and his retired nurse wife, Christine, expressed deep concerns about the prospect of prolonged suffering due to their declining health and the fear of losing their savings to exorbitant care costs.

“We have had long, happy, healthy, fulfilled lives, but here we are in old age, and it does not do nice things to you,” Scott told Evening Standard from their home in Mellis, Suffolk. He further shared his horror at the idea of witnessing Christine’s mental decline while grappling with his own physical deterioration.

“Assisted dying gives her that opportunity, and I would not want to go on living without her,” he added.

The Scotts have been transparent about their plans, discussing their decision with their son and daughter, who, despite their reluctance, have come to accept their parents' choice. The couple is now in the process of registering with The Last Resort, a Swiss-based organisation that offers assisted dying in the Sarco pod—a device unveiled in July and designed to provide a peaceful and painless death.

Christine Scott, who has seen the ravages of dementia firsthand through her nursing career, is determined to maintain control over her life and her end. “I’d like to go walking with Peter in the Swiss Alps, by a river. I’d have a beautiful plate of fish for my last supper and enjoy a great bottle of Merlot,” she told Evening Standard. She has even curated a playlist and selected a poem, "Miss Me But Let Me Go," to accompany her passing.

Their decision has reignited the debate over assisted dying in the UK, where aiding someone in ending their life remains a criminal offence. The topic has gained traction with Labour MP Jake Richards, who recently indicated his intention to propose a reform of the UK's "archaic assisted dying laws" in a Commons debate.