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[la forge] 25/2/2020 08:46

exit
Swiss organisation reports over 1,200 assisted suicides last year
This content was published on February 24, 2020 1:27 PM Feb 24, 2020 - 13:27
old man

Assisted suicide has been legal in Switzerland since the 1940s.
(Keystone / Peter Komka)

The Swiss assisted suicide organisation EXIT helped a total of 1,214 people end their lives in 2019.

The number of people who used EXIT’s services increased marginally (eight more) than in 2018. EXIT Deutsche Schweizexternal link, which covers German-speaking Switzerland and the Italian speaking canton of Ticino, reported on Monday that 862 people had used its services last year to terminate their lives – 43 less than in 2018. Its French equivalent EXIT Suisse Romandeexternal link saw a significant increase in assisted suicide cases: 352 cases or 51 more than in 2018.

More than a third of those who sought help from the German-speaking branch were suffering from terminal cancer (36%), followed by those suffering from age-related health problems (26%). Of the assisted suicides, 762 (85%) took place in their homes. At the end of 2019, EXIT Deutsche Schweiz had 128,212 members while Exit Suisse Romande had 29,875 members who had signed up to benefit from assistance when the time came.

Swiss law tolerates assisted suicide when patients commit the act themselves and helpers have no vested interest in their death. Assisted suicide has been legal in the country since the 1940s.
Criteria and assistance

Switzerland has two main groups that cater to people who seek an assisted suicide: EXIT and Dignitas. While Dignitas will also assist people from abroad, EXIT, Switzerland's biggest organisation, will only support a citizen or permanent resident of Switzerland in taking their own life.

Members must fulfil certain criteria to use the organisations’ services when they decide the time is right to end their life. EXIT and Dignitas will only provide their services to people with a terminal illness, those living with extreme pain or “unbearable221; symptoms, or with an unendurable disability.

The person who wishes to die must also know what they are doing, not be acting on impulse, have a persistent wish to die, not be under the influence of any third party, and commit suicide by their own hand.

Death is usually induced through a lethal dose of barbiturates prescribed by a doctor. Ingestion of the poison, whether by drinking it or through the use of intravenous drips or stomach tubes, must be carried out by the person wanting to die.


Ein tödliches Mittel
Death by choice
The global fight for assisted suicide

Swiss right-to-die organisations are politically and legally active abroad in a drive to legalise assisted suicide worldwide.
By Sibilla Bondolfi


SDA-Keystone/ac

[misca2] 11/11/2019 09:38

Outlook

The Board's expectations for 2019 remain unchanged from the time of the interim results in July. Operating performance in 2020 will rely heavily on the number of deaths, which may or may not revert to higher levels witnessed in previous years compared to the 576,000 seen in the last twelve months to September 2019. In addition, following the appointment of Clive Whiley as Chairman, the Board is also reviewing its current strategy in the context of the current challenges within the industry.

Mike McCollum, Chief Executive of Dignity, commented:

"I am pleased with the Group's progress so far this year. Although deaths are lower, market share remains robust, the Transformation Plan remains on track and our journey to build a more modern technologically enabled business that offers clients a high-quality service at a variety of price points remains firmly intact."

[misca2] 11/11/2019 09:35

ibcnews


Dignity profits in poor health as deaths fall to lowest level in five years

11 November 2019, 09:19 | Updated: 11 November 2019, 09:22
A graveyard
Dignity takes profit hit. Picture: PA

The funeral provider’s profit has fallen 30% so far this year, as it faces a sector-wide probe from the competition authorities.

Funeral provider Dignity has predicted fewer Britons will die this year than in any year since 2014, as it pinned its 2020 financial performance on changes to the figures.

Around 577,000 people are expected to die in 2019, according to the firm’s calculations, a 3.7% drop on the year before.

This has taken a 30% chunk out of Dignity’s underlying operating profit so far this year, which is down to £47.9 million.

However, even a 1% rise in the number of deaths in the third quarter was not enough to pump life back into Dignity’s profit, which fell 8.2% to £11.2 million in three months.

Although deaths are lower, market share remains robust

Mike McCollum, Dignity

The board said it was sticking by predictions of its 2019 results made earlier this year.

“Operating performance in 2020 will rely heavily on the number of deaths, which may or may not revert to higher levels witnessed in previous years,” it added.

Dignity is a bellwether for a sector which has been put under stronger scrutiny in recent years.

As the country’s only listed undertaker, its results are often interpreted as the best sign of the sector’s health.

The company’s share price has taken a major haircut in the last two years, as the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigates pricing in the sector.

The CMA has said that the cost of a funeral has increased 6% a year for the last 14 years, around double the rate of inflation.

Critics have long claimed that the £3,000 to £5,000 typical cost of a funeral is ripping off inexperienced family members at a time when they are at their most vulnerable.

Speaking after Dignity updated the market on Monday, chief executive Mike McCollum said: “I am pleased with the group’s progress so far this year. Although deaths are lower, market share remains robust, the transformation plan remains on track, and our journey to build a more modern, technologically-enabled business that offers clients a high-quality service at a variety of price points remains firmly intact.”

[adrian j boris] 13/5/2019 12:12

THE GUARDIAN


Funeral provider Dignity warns fall in number of deaths will hit profits

Deaths this year likely to be 3% lower than last year, says one of UK’s biggest undertakers

Julia Kollewe

Mon 13 May 2019 08.59 BST
Last modified on Mon 13 May 2019 09.00 BST



A significant fall in the number of people dying in the UK has forced one of Britain’s biggest undertakers to issue a profit warning.

Dignity, the UK’s only publicly listed funeral services company, said the number of deaths in the 13 weeks to 29 March fell by 12% to 159,000. This led to a 15% drop in revenues to £81.1m and dragged underlying operating profit down by 42% to £21.7m.

The company said historical data over the past 20 years indicates that deaths in the full year are likely to be 3% lower than 2018, at 580,000. This means that its full-year operating profits would come in £3m to £4m lower than expected. It had forecast £307m of revenues and profits of £68m.

The news sent the company’s shares down 6% in early trading.

An estimated 599,000 people died in Britain last year, a small increase on 2017. The Office for National Statistics expects the number of deaths to go up in the long term, and reach 700,000 a year by 2040.

Dignity carried out 19,200 funerals in the quarter, down from 21,400 a year earlier. But its market share rose to 12.0% from 11.7% after the firm improved its services and cut its prices last year, in response to a price war started by the Co-op. Dignity slashed the price of its cheapest funeral by 25% and has been trialling unbundled services for bespoke funerals.

Dignity made £190 less from each funeral on average than in 2018, and expects average income for the year to be about £2,940 per ceremony.
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Dignity also performed 18,000 cremations, down from 19,100, with a market share of 11.3%. It pointed to the growing popularity of direct cremations – a no-frills option with no ceremony and no mourners present, where the body is collected, cremated and the ashes are returned afterwards.

David Bowie, who died from liver cancer in 2016, chose this option and a growing number of Britons are opting for this kind of send-off for their loved ones. Many families struggle to afford a funeral, which typically costs between £3,000 and £5,000.

The Competition and Markets Authority has found that the cost of organising a funeral rose by 6% each year – twice the inflation rate – for the past 14 years, and launched an 18-month investigation into the funeral market in March. It noted that profit margins at the biggest firms were high by international standards, with Dignity’s in particular “well above” those in other countries.

[adrian j boris] 17/10/2018 12:40

Published 10:04 October 17, 2018
Updated 10:04 October 17, 2018
Netherlands and Spain reflect on euthanasia
By NEOnline | IR
Ilia Roubanis
+

Euthanasia was intensely discussed in the Netherlands and Spain this week.

The Netherlands and Belgium are legal trailblazers in Europe, introducing legislation on assisted suicide aimed at facilitating dignified death for terminally ill and suffering patients. Spain is now reflecting on a similar legal framework.

In the Netherlands, authorities are reflecting on the process of monitoring cases of euthanasia, as a sudden drop in people who take the option of assisted suicide may be linked to how prosecutors are dealing with this controversial legal subject.

The debate in the Netherlands is likely to affect Spain, which is now reflecting on its own legal framework on assisting dignified death for terminally ill people.

Dutch controversy

Cases of euthanasia in the Netherlands have dropped by 9% since 2017, Trouw newspaper reported on Tuesday.

This is the first significant drop since the law allowing euthanasia was adopted in 2002. The option is strictly regulated and the patient does not have access to euthanasia unless he or she suffers from unbearable pain and the doctor is convinced the individual can make an informed choice.

The chairman of the euthanasia monitoring committee Jacob Kohnstamm told Trouw that he was surprised by the reduction, which he linked to possible to a flu epidemic. In almost all cases, individuals opting for euthanasia are in the final stage of a terminal illness, such as heart and artery disease, dementia, Parkinson, MS, or cancer.

However, there is an alternative scenario. The theory is that the sudden drop p may also be linked to the launch the launch of five criminal investigations into euthanasia, leading doctors to become more cautious.

Spanish political debate

Meanwhile, a new legal on euthanasia was introduced in Spain in June 2018, as one of the first acts of the minority Socialist government. It is meant to facilitate access to euthanasia in both the public and private health service sector.

The government is confident there is a majority to pass the bill with the support of Podemos, as well as Basque and Catalan parties. However, parties favouring this legislation differ on how they envisage the monitoring of the process, in which case the Dutch precedent may weigh in.

Currently, assisted suicide is a crime. Opinion polls suggest public opinion is ready for a change, El Pais reports.

The conservative opposition is fiercely opposed to a law on euthanasia. The People’s Party (PP) and Ciudadanos are offering a legal compromise, advocating for palliative care in the final stages of terminal sickness, so as to offer a dignified end.

The debate of the bill is due October 25.

[la forge] 12/5/2018 06:34

What you need to know about assisted suicide in Switzerland
What you need to know about assisted suicide in Switzerland
The Dignitas centre in Pfäffikon, canton Zurich. File photo: AFP
George Mills
[e-mail]
@thelocalswitzer
3 May 2018
12:20 CEST+02:00
With Australian scientist David Goodall set to end his life in Switzerland on Thursday, we take a look at how assisted suicide works in the alpine country.

Australia’s oldest scientist, 104-year-old David Goodall, is planning to end his life in Switzerland today.

Although Goodall does not have a terminal illness, his quality of life has deteriorated seriously in recent years and he wants to die.

Read also: Assisted suicide increasingly popular in Switzerland

Goodall is a long-term member of Exit International, an organisation which fights for people's rights to choose how they wish to die. But as most Australian states prohibit assisted suicide – except for Victoria where it is allowed only in cases of terminal illness – Goodall was forced to come to Switzerland.

Here we take a look at what you need to know about assisted suicide in Switzerland.

Is assisted suicide legal?

The short answer is yes, by omission.

While article 115 of the Swiss penal code prohibits assisted suicide for “self-serving reasons” and article 114 prohibits "causing the death" of a person for “commendable motives, and in particular out of compassion for the victim”, assisted suicide for non-selfish reasons is not specifically prohibited as long as certain conditions are met (see below).

Police inquiries can follow an assisted suicide and prosecutors may take action if they feel a crime has been committed. However, Swiss suicide assistance organisation Exit notes on its website that autopsies are rarely performed after assisted suicides.

What are the conditions for assisted suicide?

The Swiss supreme court has ruled the following: people must commit suicide by their own hand, for example, by taking medication themselves. A doctor cannot administer a lethal injection without being liable for criminal prosecution.

People must also be aware of actions they are undertaking and have given due consideration to their situation. In addition, they be consistently sure they wish to die, and, of course, not be under the influence of another person, or group of persons.

Who helps people to commit suicide in Switzerland?

The main associations are Exit, Dignitas, Ex International, and lifecircle – the association that David Goodall has an appointment with.

Exit and Dignitas are the largest groups in Switzerland. Exit only provides assistance for citizens or long-term residents of Switzerland while Dignitas provides assisted suicide services to foreigners as well.

How does the paperwork process work?

The different associations have slightly different procedures but both Exit and Dignitas stress that it is not possible to simply walk in off the street, collect the necessary medication and commit suicide. Dignitas, for example, says the process can take three months or longer.

For both organisations, people wishing to use their services must be members. Dignitas specifies that for non-members, submission of a declaration of membership is a mandatory first step although it also notes there is no waiting period between become a member and applying for assisted suicide.

Beyond that, Dignitas and Exit outline processes that include making first contact (either directly or through a family member), counselling and personal interviews, submission of medical documents and an exploration of other treatment options including palliative care. A prescription for lethal medication will then be ordered from a doctor.

Dignitas also notes there is a lot of paperwork involved when foreigners choose assisted suicide in Switzerland and this can be time-consuming.

What is the medical procedure involved?

Most Swiss associations request that patients drink sodium pentobarbital, a sedative that in strong enough doses causes the heart muscle to stop beating.

Since the substance is alkaline and burns a bit when swallowed.

A professional prepares the needle, but it is up to the patient to open the valve that allows the short-acting barbiturate to mix with a saline solution and begin flowing into their vein.

A video is shot of the patient stating their name, date of birth and that they understand what they are about to do. The camera keeps rolling as they open the valve and the footage is used as evidence that they willingly took their own life.

It usually takes about 20 to 30 seconds for the patient to fall asleep.

How many people use assisted suicide services in Switzerland?

More and more: a total of 956 (539 women and 426 men) people made use of these services in 2015 according to official figures, up from 187 in 2003. There is a steadily rising trend, although assisted suicides are still only a tiny proportion of all deaths in Switzerland.

Exit said 734 people committed suicide using its services in 2017 and noted its membership was now up to 110,391.

How much does assisted suicide cost?

Beyond the Dignitas membership costs (200 francs for a one-off joining fee, or 80 francs a year), people wishing to pursue assisted suicide must pay an upfront 4,000-franc fee, without any guarantee this suicide will go ahead.

A further 1,000 francs must be paid for medical consultations and the writing of the prescription for medication required.

Finally, if assisted suicide goes ahead, another 2,500 francs is charged to cover Dignitas costs, according to their website.

Dignitas can also organise funerals and oversee administrative affairs.

The total cost is therefore 7,500 francs without funeral and administrative services and 10,500 francs with those services – usually payable in advance.

But is should be noted Dignitas can waive some or all costs for people in financial difficulties.

[waldron] 19/1/2018 09:59

EXPECT A UPTREND

BUT WHEN

OF COURSE WHEN US BABY BOOMERS POP OUR CLOGS

[waldron] 19/1/2018 09:49

Dignity to drop funeral prices, issues profit warning for 2018
08:04 19 Jan 2018
In a bid to preserve market share, the company is dropping the price of ‘simple’ funerals and freezing the cost of most ‘traditional’ funerals.
woman at funeral standing by coffin
RIP 2018 profit margin

UK funeral services firm Dignity Plc (LON:DTY) has told investors that results for 2017 will be in line with expectations, but, at the same time it cautioned over its 2018 performance.

It highlighted that the group’s pre-arranged and crematoria businesses are performing strongly, but, also noted a continuing acceleration of price competition facing in the funeral business.

Consequently, the company said it is now taking decisive action on its pricing strategy, in order to protect market share and “repositioning for future growth”.

Dignity said results for the year, to December 28 2018, will be “substantially below the market's current expectations.”

A price of a simple funeral will reduce by an average of 25%, meanwhile, the group’s traditional funeral service will see a price freeze in the majority of locations.

In light of these actions, Dignity now intends to embark on a rigorous review to ensure that its funeral operations are organised to run more efficiently and effectively.

“The board believes that the combination of ongoing albeit slightly reduced volume erosion; the freeze in the traditional funeral pricing; the reduction in the simple funeral price; the likely change in mix; the increasing proportion of funerals that have been pre-arranged and increased promotional expense, will lead to substantially lower profits in 2018,” the company said in a statement.

“The new balance between volumes and margins will take time to become clear and the group expects to provide an initial update on these estimates and its progress when it releases its interim results in August 2018.”

[ariane] 10/12/2017 17:20

Funeral director group Dignity is one to "avoid" said the Sunday Times' Inside the City column. Rising competition from rivals is the main concern for shareholders, even more than comments that death rates were levelling off. As well as an ongoing bolt-on acquisition campaign, Dignity has been growing the top line every year since it floated 13 years ago thanks to the industry's ability to keep increasing prices, which has led to the average cost of a funeral topping £4,000 these days. Dignity's sales are forecast to reach around £326m this year, from £313.6m last year and £305.3m the year before.

The FSTE 250 group's recent caution about competition it undoubtedly linked to the rise of price comparison websites such as Funeralbooker, which has even boasted that it is shorting Dignity's shares. Analysts warn that Dignity’s method of acquiring dozens of smaller funeral homes has not given it the significant gains in market share it might have expected as vendors often set up again as a new, cheaper rival. Management have two choices: keep focusing on the top end of the market or chase cheaper business.

[the grumpy old men] 16/11/2017 10:31

Dignity Plc 11.6% Potential Upside Indicated by Berenberg

Posted by: Amilia Stone 16th November 2017

Dignity Plc with EPIC/TICKER (LON:DTY) has had its stock rating noted as ‘Downgrades217; with the recommendation being set at ‘HOLD’ this morning by analysts at Berenberg. Dignity Plc are listed in the Consumer Services sector within UK Main Market. Berenberg have set their target price at 2350 GBX on its stock. This would indicate that the analyst believes there is a potential upside of 11.6% from today’s opening price of 2105 GBX. Over the last 30 and 90 trading days the company share price has decreased 155 points and decreased 260 points respectively. The 1 year high share price is 2791 GBX while the year low share price is currently 1942.7 GBX.

Dignity Plc has a 50 day moving average of 2,327.94 GBX and a 200 Day Moving Average share price is recorded at 2,457.44. There are currently 199,378,759 shares in issue with the average daily volume traded being 153,395. Market capitalisation for LON:DTY is £1,001,376,541 GBP.

[waldron] 16/11/2017 08:39

Assisted suicide increasingly popular in Switzerland
Assisted suicide increasingly popular in Switzerland
Photo:LightHunter/Depositphotos
The Local
[e-mail]
@thelocalswitzer
15 November 2017
10:50 CET+01:00
More people in Switzerland than ever before are turning to assisted suicide to end their lives, according to the latest statistics.
In 2015, 965 Swiss residents used assisted suicide services in Switzerland, according to the latest figures from the Swiss statistics office.

That’s up from 742 the year before and a remarkable rise on the year 2000 when only 86 people resorted to assisted suicide, said the Tages Anzeiger.

Women are more likely than men to seek assistance to die (539 against 426 in 2015). In contrast, far fewer women commit unassisted suicide (279 against 792 men in 2015).

The figures do not include people who come from abroad to commit suicide in Switzerland.

Speaking to the Tages Anzeiger, medical professor Felix Gutzwiller said the reason for the rise in assisted suicide was related to Switzerland’s aging population and elderly people’s increasing desire to take control over the end of their lives.

Assisted suicide organizations are now more accepted by the medical profession than they used to be, he said.

What’s more, today’s elderly have grown up knowing about assisted suicide organization Exit, which was founded in 1982, and the organization’s membership has doubled over the past ten years.

Understanding of euthanasia has increased in recent years, added Exit director Bernard Sutter.

Twenty years ago finding a doctor to issue a prescription for the deadly drug used by Exit was much more difficult than it is today, he said.

READ ALSO: Co-founder of Swiss assisted suicide organization Exit dies aged 100

Exit offers its services only to Swiss residents who must be members of the organization. Currently, they must have an incurable illness, though the group is considering extending its service to elderly people in good health.

A second Swiss organization, Dignitas, also provides assisted suicide services to non-Swiss who live outside the country.

All ‘end-of-life’ workers are unpaid volunteers, since assisted suicide is only legal in Switzerland if the assistant does not benefit financially from the person’s death.

The figures on assisted suicide in 2015 came out of an analysis of all causes of death in that year by the Swiss statistics office.

The flu epidemic at the start of the year and the July heatwave contributed to a six per cent rise in the number of deaths compared to the previous year.

The rise meant life expectancy in Switzerland actually dipped slightly in 2015, something that hadn’t happened since 1990, however that rose again in 2016 when the number of deaths fell.

The principal causes of death in 2015 remained accident and suicide for young people under the age of 40, and cancer and cardiovascular problems for older people.

[grupo guitarlumber] 02/8/2017 11:44

More than 100,000 terminally ill patients denied hospice care

An ageing population and funding cuts or freezes are piling pressure on hospices across the country, Sky News finds.

10:06, UK, Wednesday 02 August 2017
An ageing population is piling pressure on the social care system
Image: Britain’s 200 hospices treat around 200,000 people every year

By Paul Kelso, Health Correspondent

One in four terminally ill people who need expert end-of-life care are not receiving it because of funding pressures, the hospice movement has told Sky News.

Hospice UK said as many as 118,000 people in the UK with terminal or life-limiting conditions are not able to access palliative care from its members.

Britain's 200 hospices treat around 200,000 people every year but, with an ageing population, demand for their services is growing.

Hospices offer palliative care to improve the quality of life of those dying, as well as emotional and psychological support to families facing bereavement.

On average, hospices most of which are charities, receive just one-third of their funding from the NHS and rely on donations, shops, bequests and investments for the rest.

Hospice UK said two-thirds of hospices had their NHS funding cut or frozen last year.

It argues that with more certain funding it could treat many more people, significantly easing the pressure on NHS hospitals.

Around 500,000 people die in England and Wales every year, half of them in hospitals despite many of them having no clinical need to be there.

:: Hospice strives for quality of life in shadow of death
Staff at St Luke's Hospice
Image: Staff at St Luke's Hospice begin their day with a meeting

"What we really want to see is more stability and sustainability in funding," Jonathan Ellis, head of advocacy at Hospice UK, told Sky News.

"If we just look at last year, two-thirds of hospices had their funding cut or frozen, adding more pressure to hospices at precisely the time demand is growing and more people need the care hospices provide.

"At the moment the NHS is spending an awful lot of money and very often not meeting the needs of those at the end of life very effectively. Half of people will die in a hospital bed when they don't have a clinical need to be there, and hospitals are the most expensive bit of the system, and the part that is under the most pressure."

Sky News was given exclusive access to St Luke's Hospice in Sheffield and spoke to staff, patients and families about the impact hospice care can have on the terminally ill and their loved ones.

We visited patients at home with a rapid response team of palliative care nurses who treat the most seriously ill, as well as interviewing in-patients and their families.

Most spoke openly and with remarkable honesty about their conditions and their attitude to death. Many praised the hospice for helping them prepare for death, and the support given to their families.

Jean Knight, who had multiple cancers, told us how she refused to become negative despite her terminal diagnosis and grave condition. She was treated at home and was determined to stay there with her husband Richard.

"You have got two choices," she told us. "Quality or quantity. What would you like? Quality. If you've got quality of life, you've got everything you need.

"You get your dignity [from hospice care]. If you ask something, they give it to you. If you ask for pain relief it's there straight away. They don't make you wait for anything."

She added: "They're so much on the ball. They're an absolutely fantastic place. I couldn't fault them."
St Luke's hospice in Sheffield
Image: St Luke's hospice in Sheffield is a modern building that looks like a private hospital

A month after we first interviewed Mrs Knight she died, surrounded by her family.

St Luke's chief executive Peter Hartland said it receives just 25% of its funding from the NHS, and has to raise £6m every year from public donations and a chain of charity shops.

He said that charitable status allows the hospice more discretion about how it spends its money - for example they run a high-quality kitchen making food to order - but said a doubling of NHS funding for hospices could have a huge impact on care across Sheffield.

"If you took a poll of my peers across the country there would be consensus that we want better funding for hospice and palliative care," he said.

"We are after a more level playing field for what would be seen as essential services in our city, and without them the whole of the healthcare sector in Sheffield would be worse off."

Last year the Government made a commitment to improve end of life care across the country, which includes offering every patient a chance to discuss plans for their death with doctors and carers.

[grupo guitarlumber] 02/8/2017 10:08

UK funeral firm Dignity reports first half profit and revenue growth as number of deaths rise
09:30 02 Aug 2017
Dignity said it continues to expect the number of deaths in 2017 to be lower than last year
Dignity
Dignity left its guidance for the full year unchanged

A higher number of deaths helped UK funeral company Dignity plc (LON:DTY) to deliver an increase in first half profits and revenue.

The company said the number of deaths it dealt with in the six months to 30 June were 308,000, up 2% from 302,000 the same period a year earlier.

Underlying profit rose 9% to a record £46.1mln from £42.4mln in 2016 and revenue edged up 7% to £59.5mln from £55.6mln.

Dignity raised its interim dividend by 10% to 8.65p from 7.85p.


"The year has started well for the group, with good operational performance, continued excellent customer survey results and further acquisitions of established funeral businesses,” said chief executive Mike McCollum.

However, McCollum cautioned that the company remains alert to the strategic challenges it faces in a competitive environment with aggressive pricing activity on funerals and pre-arranged funeral plans.

“This is reflected in the ongoing development of our digital strategy and the leadership we have demonstrated in calling for proper regulation of pre-arranged funeral plans,” he said.

“We will continue to review the scope of our service offering in the light of changing consumer demands and build on our strong market-leading position."
Dignity to launch social media service

Dignity expects incremental costs of up to £1.0mln in 2017 to improve its online presence in its funeral locations in the UK.

The company is also launching a new service for customers to make it easier for them to notify family members through social media and the internet of funeral arrangements. The service will allow families to arrange flowers and make donations online.
Funerals and cremations rise

The group had 811 funeral locations at the end of the first half, compared to 777 last year, following the acquisition of additional sites. It conducted 36,700 funerals during the period, flat on last year.

Dignity performed 33,700 cremations, compared to 28,900 in 2016, as it expanded its locations to 45 from 39 last year.

Looking ahead, the company said it continues to expect the number of deaths in 2017 to be slightly lower than last year but its guidance for the full year remains “positive and unchanged”.

Shares rose 0.35% to 2,569p in morning trading.
rene-3.fw.png
Renae Dyer