A cancer patient says it is her “dying wish” for thousands of people to benefit from the choice of ending their life.

Elise Burns, a publisher from Faversham, is terminally ill and urging MPs to “do the right thing” when voting on the assisted dying bill.

It would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death, subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist.

MPs are gathering for a debate today (May 16) in the House of Commons for the report stage, during which members are expected to vote on further amendments.

Elise, who has been given approximately a year to live, is planning on going to Switzerland with her family to end her life, despite the legal risks the current “barbaric” laws pose.

She says it would “mean the world” to her if the bill is passed.

“I'm fully aware that it's almost certainly going to be too late for me,” the 51-year-old explained.

“I can't even put into words how much it would mean. If I could have one dying wish, then it would be this. It's going to help so many.

“I defy anyone to look me in the eye and tell me why they think I should suffer in pain at the end of my life, why they think that's okay, because there's no justification for it in this day and age.

“They [MPs] are not voting on an abstract concept. We are a progressive society, and it’s time for a change.”

Elise was first diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2020 and, after treatment, was given the all clear.

However, three years later, she started to get a persistent cough, which caused problems with her breathing and speech.

“I couldn’t get up the stairs,” Elise said. “My legs started to buckle, and I was constantly being fobbed off by my GP.

“They kept telling me I had whooping cough, long Covid or a vitamin D deficiency.

“I’d lost so much weight, I had no quality of life – it was horrific. I was clearly dying, and no one would acknowledge that.”

In June, Elise and her mum drove to Estuary View Urgent Treatment Centre in Whitstable, where she had a series of tests and scans.

Staff told her she had “pockets of cancer” and that they would write to her GP.

Two days later, Elise received a phone call with the heartbreaking news that it was terminal.

She had secondary cancer, meaning it had spread to her lungs, liver and bones.

Elise added: “Obviously, it was not what I wanted to hear, but at least there was something wrong with me and it wasn't in my head.

“It was very shocking, as you can imagine. However, I wanted to try and do something meaningful and bring about change.”

Since her diagnosis, the publicist has been campaigning alongside non-profit organisation Dignity in Dying, which aims to put people in charge of decisions about the end of their life.

The bill – introduced by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater in October 2024 – has undergone significant changes since it succeeded in an initial vote in the Commons in November.

The High Court safeguard has been dropped and replaced by expert panels, while the implementation period has been doubled to a maximum of four years for an assisted dying service to be in place, should it pass into law.

A 149-page impact assessment was published on Friday, May 2.

It set out estimates for how many people might apply and go on to have an assisted death, as well as potential costs of the service and reduced end-of-life care costs.

If time allows today, MPs could vote on whether to approve the bill at third reading – its final stage in the Commons – and decide if it is sent to the House of Lords for further scrutiny.

Assisted dying, often called assisted suicide or euthanasia by its opponents, is controversial and has sparked widespread debate around its ethics.

Christian Action, Research and Education (CARE) is one charity that strongly believes the law should not be changed.

CEO Ross Hendry said: "There are clear and compelling reasons for MPs to oppose the assisted suicide bill at Westminster, wherever they stand on the principle of it, and the practical difficulties and concerns of the proposals before MPs.

"Amendments to increase protections for disabled people and those with eating disorders were opposed at committee.

“A clause to require oversight by a High Court judge was also scrapped, further weakening the bill.

"Professional organisations, including the Royal College of Psychiatrists, have said they have no confidence in the legislation, due to its central provisions being unworkable. Doctors continue to express concerns.

“A clear majority of specialist palliative medics oppose a change in the law.

“Instead of legislating for assisted suicide, parliamentarians should look to ensure that every life is protected and focus on improving truly life-affirming forms of care.

“Experts stress the effectiveness of holistic palliative care in meeting the physical, mental and spiritual needs of terminally ill people when it receives appropriate investment and prioritisation.”

Ahead of the upcoming debate, MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, Kevin McKenna, told KentOnline he is continuing to back the bill, which he believes is “incredibly important”.

He said: “It's something I've cared about for a very long time, because I believe in personal autonomy and I believe it's been a long-standing injustice.

“I thought long and hard about the bill when it first came out, just to make sure that it had the right levels of protections in it, particularly for people with disabilities.

“I was assured of that, and I'll continue to be assured of that.”

Before he became a Labour MP, Kevin trained as a nurse and spent 26 years working for the NHS, most of the time in intensive care.

“I unfortunately saw lots of people who passed away while I was there and caring for them, supporting their families,” he explained.

“My colleagues and I are taking this incredibly seriously. We've got to get this right.”

“To be blunt, sometimes people get that level of care, and it's not what the patient wanted.

“It's not necessarily the most dignified or appropriate death.

“It will set the tone for the whole country. Anyone who watched the previous debate will have seen how intense and very emotional it was.

“This isn’t just some runaway compulsory service, it is about personal choice.

“My colleagues and I are taking this incredibly seriously. We've got to get this right.”