Family say they were not told, despite clinic’s previous assurances

A GRIEVING mother from West Wales ended her life in secret at a controversial assisted dying clinic in Switzerland — despite the clinic’s alleged promise to inform relatives before carrying out any such procedure.

Anne, 51, travelled to the Pegasos clinic near Basel in January, telling her family she was going on holiday. In reality, she intended to die — a decision her loved ones only discovered after receiving farewell letters posted from Switzerland.

The Pembrokeshire Herald has chosen not to release Anne’s surname in order to respect the family’s privacy.

Pegasos is already under scrutiny after a similar case in 2023, when 47-year-old Alistair Hamilton died without his family’s knowledge. Following that case, the clinic reportedly assured the public that it would always notify next of kin before proceeding with assisted deaths.

But Anne’s family say they were kept in the dark — a claim that has prompted an investigation by Dyfed-Powys Police.

Her brother, John, told ITV News he had received no calls or messages from the clinic, despite Pegasos saying they had tried to reach him.

Anne, who was not terminally ill, is believed to have been suffering from severe depression following the death of her son. In one of her letters, she wrote: “I can’t keep going and get older and older without my son… This was my decision to go to Switzerland and be in peace.”

In another note addressed to her sister Delia, she said: “If you’re reading this, I am no longer here. I have thought about this long and hard and need to find [my son] and ask him some questions.”

Delia said she was left confused and heartbroken, unsure if Anne had truly died. She contacted multiple Swiss clinics before finally hearing back from Pegasos several days later.

In an email, the clinic said: “Anne has chosen to die. She died gently and not alone. I hope her letters help you to accept this. All official papers and her urn will be sent to her brother John.”

Delia told ITV: “Anyone who loses a child probably wants to die and be with them. But with the right help, she could have got through it.”

The Pegasos clinic told ITV News that it does its best to ensure people they assist have informed their families.

A spokesperson said: “According to our protocols, we do the best of our abilities that persons we assist have informed their loved ones of their plans to die. Should we have reason to assume that no information has been provided to close family, we will refrain from proceeding without credible proof that they are aware.”

They added: “We understand that the assisted death of a loved person is a distressing time for the family. We are very sorry if Pegasos’ actions or communications have caused further distress to any affected family member at any time and thoroughly consider all concerns.”

The clinic also emphasised that since its founding in 2019, all its actions have been in accordance with Swiss law.

Assisted dying is legal in Switzerland for people of sound mind, regardless of whether they are terminally ill, provided they are not being coerced.

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed they are working with the Swiss authorities, who say Anne died on 6 January.

A spokesperson for the force said it could “neither confirm nor deny whether a person is a suspect or person of interest” in the case.

If you are affected by any of the issues in this article, help is available. You can contact Samaritans for free, 24 hours a day, on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org.

UNION CLAIMS MANAGEMENT IS IGNORING CULTURE REVIEW FINDINGS

MORE than 200 firefighters and supporters rallied outside the headquarters of Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service in Carmarthen last week, protesting against proposed changes to shift patterns.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) is calling on the fire authority to scrap plans to move from the current 9-hour day and 15-hour night shifts to a system of 12-hour days and 12-hour nights.

The shift change is part of a wider restructure of the traditional “2-2-4” pattern — two day shifts, two night shifts and four rest days. Management insists the new pattern will retain the same total weekly hours (42) while being “more efficient and effective.”

But the FBU says the plan is being pushed through without proper consultation and will disproportionately impact firefighters with childcare or other caring responsibilities. The union argues the changes will negatively affect mental and physical wellbeing, especially for those already stretched by demanding workloads and staff shortages.

The protest follows a damning workplace culture review in January which described the service as an “operational boys’ club” where bullying and harassment were rife. The report called for a wholesale change in leadership culture — but union leaders say those calls have been ignored.

‘Staff pushed to exhaustion’

Tom Wass, Mid and West Wales brigade organiser for the FBU, said: “Firefighters have travelled from across the region today to rally in opposition to these 12-hour shifts. We keep the public safe around the clock, but pushing us to exhaustion and making the job incompatible with family life will only drive people out of the service.

“The huge turnout today shows how strongly firefighters feel. Senior management must stop attacking our conditions and start listening to the frontline.”

‘Trust in leadership has gone’

FBU regional secretary Duncan Stewart-Ball said the fire service was “in a state of crisis.”

“Firefighters no longer trust senior leaders,” he said. “Forcing through 12-hour shifts, especially after the ‘boys’ club’ report, is appalling.

“These changes will make it harder for women and those with caring responsibilities to stay in the job. The fire authority must hold management to account and scrap these damaging proposals if they want to start rebuilding trust.”

‘We’ve been railroaded’

Firefighters on the picket line told The Herald they felt bullied into accepting the changes.

Kirsty, who has been with the service for five years, said: “I’m hoping to start a family in the near future, and I can’t see how I’ll be able to juggle work and childcare under this new system.”

Dai, a firefighter for 11 years, added: “We’ve almost been bullied into this — they’ve completely railroaded us.”

Fire service defends proposals

In a statement, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said the shift proposals were based on “improved safety” for both staff and the communities they serve.

A spokesperson said: “Other fire services have successfully implemented the 12-12 model, which provides better continuity, clearer handovers, and greater operational resilience. This is in line with recommendations from the Welsh Government and health and safety improvements.”

The service said it was “disappointed” that there had been “no meaningful progress” in talks with the union.

FBU general secretary Steve Wright said: “Firefighters already go above and beyond to keep the public safe, despite a decade of cuts. Forcing gruelling shift patterns on them will only deepen the crisis. The fire authority must scrap these plans immediately.”

RESIDENTS and visitors along the Pembrokeshire coastline have been warned to take extra care today (Mar 31) after a flood alert was issued for the area.

Natural Resources Wales issued the alert at 7:21pm on Sunday evening, warning of a risk of flooding between St Dogmaels, Cardigan and Amroth.

The combination of high tides and unsettled weather conditions is expected to cause flooding of low-lying land, roads, beaches and estuary areas this morning. The high tide at Milford Haven is forecast for 8:22am.

A spokesperson said: “Flooding is possible and people are advised to be cautious in coastal areas, particularly along footpaths and near estuaries.”

River and tide levels are being monitored at key locations, including Milford Haven and Haverfordwest. At 1:15am, the tide level at Milford Haven was recorded at -2.964mAOD and falling, while the Western Cleddau at Haverfordwest was steady at 0.484m.

Flood alerts have also been issued for other tidal areas in the county, including Little Haven, Lower Town Fishguard, Saundersfoot, Newgale, Dale, Amroth, Solva, Pembroke Dock, and Angle.

This is the latest in a series of alerts affecting the area over the past few months, with similar warnings issued in February and January.

Members of the public can check the latest information by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188 and quoting quick dial number 503013.

Flood alert in force: 7:21pm on Sunday (Mar 30)
High tide at Milford Haven: 8:22am on Monday (Mar 31)