The number of people wearing a ‘do not resuscitate’ medallion has shot up from 5,000 last year to over 20,000.

The medallion was launched by the voluntary euthanasia society NVVE in 2007 when 1,200 bought it. Most of the wearers are over the age of 70.

‘A growing number of people are thinking seriously about the end of their life,’ an NVVE spokesman told the AD. ‘In addition, older people are more likely to take charge of their own death.’

Disabilities

NVVE figures show that eight in 100 people in their seventies survive resuscitation outside of a hospital but half of them are left with disabilities, the AD says.

In hospital, 20 in 100 people survive resuscitation with three left with some form of damage.