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Australian Medical Association re-affirms opposition to euthanasia and assisted suicide

Nov 28, 2016

By Paul Russell, Founder, HOPE Australia

Editor’s note. The following is excerpted from a post at noeuthanasia.org.au.

australianma-logoOn November 24, the Australian Medical Association [AMA] released its new policy on euthanasia and assisted suicide.

The policy review is a five-yearly process that involved significant consultation and surveying of members ahead of the development of the final document released last week.

The two-page document changes the focus somewhat by opening with various affirmations about the AMA’s commitment to making quality end-of-life care available to all Australians . …

The AMA rightly calls for action by all Australian governments:

1.6 As a matter of the highest priority, governments should strive to improve end of life care for all Australians through: ·the adequate resourcing of palliative care services and advance care planning; ·the development of clear and nationally consistent legislation protecting doctors in providing good end of life care; and ·increased development of, and adequate resourcing of, enhanced palliative care services, supporting general practitioners, other specialists, nursing staff and carers in providing end of life care to patients across Australia.

The statement includes a clear direction to doctors on their responsibility should a patient ever ask for euthanasia or assisted suicide:

2.1. A patient’s request to deliberately hasten their death by providing either euthanasia or physician assisted suicide should be fully explored by their doctor. Such a request may be associated with conditions such as depression or other mental disorders, dementia, reduced decision-making capacity and/or poorly controlled clinical symptoms. Understanding and addressing the reasons for such a request will allow the doctor to adjust the patient’s clinical management accordingly or seek specialist assistance.

The key paragraph that retains the AMA’s opposition:

3.1 The AMA believes that doctors should not be involved in interventions that have as their primary intention the ending of a person’s life. This does not include the discontinuation of treatments that are of no medical benefit to a dying patient.

The statement acknowledges that there are divergent views in the medical fraternity just as there is in Australian society. They acknowledge, correctly, that law and public policy in this area is the preserve of our parliaments and they insist on being consulted and included in any debate on the matter. …

While the statement is exceptionally clear, the media reporting has been very shabby.

The Australian ran with the headline: “Most doctors would help terminally ill die: AMA.” The Fairfax Press: “Four in 10 doctors want voluntary euthanasia, Australian Medical Association survey shows.”

The Fairfax headline is at least accurate. Indeed, as the story states 38% of the doctors who completed the AMA survey said that doctors should be involved in euthanasia or physician assisted suicide. But, according to Fairfax, 50% said that doctors should not be involved. …

I could go on about The Australian’s new-found enthusiasm for euthanasia. That’s annoying enough but sloppy journalism really gets me going. Here’s a classic example (The Australian):

“The replacement policy states that a failure by doctors to initiate or continue life-prolonging measures for a dying patient does not constitute euthanasia.”

Failure? That implies negligence; the doctor ‘failed’ to do his or her job. What rot! The policy says nothing of the sort. …

In closing, we welcome the AMA’s policy statement and its affirmation that ‘doctors should not be involved in interventions that have as their primary intention the ending of a person’s life.’ We also welcome the educational initiatives and the call for better access to quality care for all Australians.

The survey recorded something like 4,000 responses from a membership of some 30,000 doctors Australia wide.

Categories: Assisted Suicide