Ontario releases report, launches consultation on doctor-assisted death

An expert advisory panel led by the Ontario provincial government has released its final report recommending provinces adopt a national strategy for palliative care and to ensure access to physician-assisted dying.

Public consultation meetings planned across Ontario beginning in January, 2016

CBC News Posted: Dec 14, 2015 1:49 PM EST | Last Updated: December 14, 2015

Theadvisory groupspent three months consulting with key organizations, experts and community leaders,from across Canada, the report co-chairs said in a release.

Ontario report on physician-assisted death. (External link, pdf)

The report made 43 recommendations, the majority of which dealtwith ensuring widespread access to physician assisted dying, documentation of eligibility requests and eventual outcomes, and standardized legislation across Canada. There was also a nod to the need foraccommodation ofmedical professionals who might object to helping a patient die.

In a unanimous landmarkruling on Feb. 6, 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada struck downtheban on physician-assisted dying, on the grounds that it violated Canadians'charter rights. Justices gave the federal and provincial governments 12 months to prepare for the decision to come into effect.

Current status: in flux

Canada's physicians, patients, religious communities and even politicians have been scrambling to come up with a strategy since the ban on physician-assisted suicide was struck down by the Supreme Court and the federal government given a year to change, adapt or make new laws.

In October, the new federal government asked the court for more time.

Twenty-two of the report's recommendations focus on how and what legislationprovincial andterritorial governmentsshould implement in the meantime.

National input

KarimaVelji,President of the Canadian Nurses Association and Integrated Vice President, Mental Health Services, for London Health Science Centre and St. Joseph's Health Care inLondon was on the advisory panel.

The Ontario-sponsored report also included medical, ethical and practitionerconsultants from British Columbia,Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Alberta as well as experts from the University of Toronto.

Public consultation coming

Now that the expert panel has reported, the provincial governmentis launching a websiteseeking public input into how Ontariansfeel aboutthe issueof doctor-assisted suicide, how palliative caremay have affected, or mayin future affect,their family, and what they think should become the standard for practice in Ontario.

And, starting in January, the government will be holding public meetings in nine centres across Ontario: