from the registrar’s desk
Respect for patient autonomy is at the core of the
Supreme Court’s decision
and patients in the lurch, we made sure that
we had an Interim Guidance document ready
by February 6th – the original deadline set by
the Supreme Court of Canada. In order to be
ready to assist you in a timely way, we held an
abbreviated consultation.
We heard from a number of doctors who
were opposed to the Supreme Court decision itself. Many wrote that they had taken
an oath to do no harm, and they simply
could not reconcile physician-assisted death
with their fundamental beliefs and values to
preserve life. While determining the validity
and merits of the Supreme Court’s decision
was beyond the scope of our consultation, I
appreciate the sincerity of the concerns that
were voiced.
While neither the Supreme Court’s decision, nor our Interim Guidance compels
physicians to provide physician-assisted death,
we do believe that a physician who declines to
provide physician-assisted death must do so
in a manner that respects patient dignity. This
includes making an effective referral.
The issue of patient support and patient access is consistent across all jurisdictions and the
importance of facilitating access was echoed in
the report produced by the Provincial-Territorial Ministers of Health and Justices on issues
related to physician-assisted death.
Th