The letter has been signed by 1061 doctors, of the 17,000 registered doctors in New Zealand.

Medical Association chair Dr Kate Baddock agreeds with the letter and the majority of their more than 5000 members oppose euthanasia.

MP David Seymour's End of Life Choice Bill is expected to have its second reading in parliament on Wednesday.

He says the Bill will likely pass on Wednesday and the contents of the letter are not new.

However, MPs opposing the bill are planning to put up more than 100 amendments that could push its possible passage well into next year.

The letter's signatories endorse the views of the World Medical Association and New Zealand Medical Association, that euthanasia is unethical, even if made legal.

The doctors said they were "committed to the concept of death with dignity and comfort", including effective pain relief and excellence in palliative care. And they uphold the right of patients to decline treatment.

Palliative care specialist, Dr Sinead Donnelly, who organised the letter, said the bill changes the relationship between a doctor and their patient.

Donnelly said she had a message for MPs.

"As doctors, we don't want to be part of it, you're going to, in our view, destroy the profession of medicine by drawing us in to ending the life of our patients."

Baddock said their stance was in line with the international response.

"In the World Medical Association, some 119 countries belong and over 90 per cent of them are completely against euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide," she said.

If New Zealand was to adopt assisted dying, Baddock said the Medical Association will be advocating for a policy like Switzerland, where doctors are not involved in the process at all.

Source

• rnz.co.nz
• rnz.co.nz
• nzherald.co.nz
• scoop.co.nz
• nzherald.co.nz
• Image: quora.com

"Mr Seymour should withdraw his bill immediately. It is simply not feasible for MPs to try to ‘fix' the bill during the Committee of the Whole House stage, as that would deny New Zealanders their right to have a say on different proposals."

"This is simply too serious an issue for ad hoc amendments to be made on the floor of the house with no expert or wider consultation. There are just far too many problems that need further discussion."

"We are opposed to euthanasia in any form, but we are particularly worried about the unintended consequences of rushed ill-considered law in an area as fraught as this."

Dr Thirkell added that "If Mr Seymour won't do the right thing, then Parliament should recognise that this Bill is simply not fit for purpose, and resoundingly defeat it at Second Reading."

The Care Alliance analysed virtually all of the more than 38,000 submissions made to Parliament's justice select committee on Act leader David Seymour's End of Life Choice Bill.

It found that 90.2 per cent opposed the bill, 8.1 per cent were in favour and 1.7 per cent were neutral or unclear.

Most submissions were unique, and not form or postcard submissions. Twelve per cent were longer than a page and 90.5 per cent did not use religious arguments.

Seymour's private member's bill was drawn from the parliamentary ballot in 2017, two months before the health select committee reported to the House on its inquiry into the public's views on euthanasia, a report that contained no recommendations.

Alliance secretary Peter Thirkell said the number of submissions to the justice committee and the proportion against euthanasia was significantly greater than in the health committee's inquiry.

Six of the eight health committee members voted against Seymour's bill at the first reading, having "listened carefully to the evidence, and voted accordingly".

"We hope the members of the justice select committee will demonstrate a similar respect for the mountain of evidence showing that legalising euthanasia is unnecessary, unwise and dangerous," he said.

Seymour says the justice committee submissions did not reflect public opinion in the way that a scientific survey did.

"Nobody would take seriously an opinion survey where the respondents were self-selected.

"What we have here is fewer than 1 per cent of New Zealanders who have made submissions.

"The overwhelming majority of them are less than a paragraph and they have done it in response to concerted campaigns by certain organisations," he said.

The Care Alliance's members include: The Australian & New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine; Christian Medical Fellowship; Euthanasia-Free NZ; Family First New Zealand; Hospice New Zealand; New Zealand Health Professionals Alliance; Lutherans for Life; The Nathaniel Centre; Not Dead Yet Aotearoa; Pacific Leaders Forum; Palliative Care Nurses New Zealand; The Salvation Army of New Zealand.

Source

• nzherald.co.nz
• carealliance.org.nz
• indiannewslink.co.nz
• Image: nzcatholic.org.nz

Roger Foley has cerebellar ataxia, a terminal and incurable severe brain disorder that limits movement and leaves him unable to perform basic tasks independently.

He wants to be able to live at home but has instead been offered only two options: a forced discharge from hospital or medically assisted death.

Because of this, Foley is suing the hospital, several health agencies and the attorneys general of Ontario and Canada.

"The Canadians haven't had their law for very long and yet already we can see that the idea of choice is a myth - real choices are not available for patients to be assisted to live," says Thirkell.

"This is happening in the same country that David Seymour calls "advanced", with a law that he points to as an example to be followed."

"Mr Foley's case highlights the substantial dangers that people with disability and serious chronic and life-limiting medical conditions will face if Mr Seymour's End of Life Choice Bill is passed."

Under the End of Life Choice Bill, it is not necessary for patients to have their basic needs met before seeking euthanasia, and there is no obligation to ensure real alternatives are explored; the patient must simply be "aware" of them.

"The Bill targets people who may have complex health needs and who rely on our health system for care. We should be providing the highest standard of care and support to live, which meets those needs.

"True patient-centred care enables the best living possible, personalised to the patient where appropriate medical expertise and care is properly provided.

That's what palliative and hospice care does and that's why palliative and hospice care should be invested in."

Mr Foley wants to live and the irony is that it is the availability of legal euthanasia and assisted suicide that marks for him the end of any choice for life."

Source

• carealliance.org.nz
• ctvnews.ca
• Image: professorramos.blog

Jansen, Secretary of the Care Alliance made the comment in a media release, 12 July, launching the "Ten questions for David Seymour" campaign.

The campaign, designed to prompt New Zealand Members of Parliament to give serious thought to the bill's issues, highlights ten questions MP's the Care Alliance thinks MP's need to ask.

Starting on 12 July, the "Ten Questions" have been progressively released.

1. Why 18 years of age?
2. Are people with mental illness in or out?
3. Why involve doctors? Why not lawyers?
4. How many deaths per year from this Bill?
5. What is the error rate of medical diagnosis?
6. How do you prevent subtle coercion of older people?
7. How much money will this save in health care spending?
8. How does this not undermine suicide prevention efforts?
9. Why is assisted suicide seen as a compassionate act for your disabled people when suicide is seen as a tragedy for other young people?
10. Would a person with chronic arthritis be eligible?

The last question was released today.

"Inconsistent" is how Jansen labels David Seymour's argument that euthanasia is a compassionate solution.

"If killing is so kind, why not make it available for children as they do in Belgium and the Netherlands?" he asks.

Jansen says simplistic solutions are not suitable for such a life-changing issue, and he is urging all New Zealanders to study the questions and be informed.

Highlighting the practice of assisted suicide in the Netherlands where people with a mental illness can be euthanised, Care Alliance statistics show a 1,575% increase in psychiatric disorder assisted suicide between 2009-16.

In 2016, 70% of those with a psychiatric disorder in the Netherlands were dementia cases.

In neighbouring Belgium, the total number of people euthanised in 2015 was 2022. This is up from 24 in 2002; an 8,325% increase.

The Care Alliance warns it is widely accepted that medical diagnosis is wrong in at least 10-15% of cases and medical prognoses are inaccurate up to 80% of the time.

It warns that euthanasia marginalises an already vulnerable group.

The Care Alliance brings together organisations and individuals who want to nurture better conversations about dying in New Zealand. It includes

• Australian and New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine
• Christian Medical Fellowship
• Euthanasia-Free NZ
• Family First New Zealand
• Hospice New Zealand
• Lutherans for Life
• New Zealand Health Professionals Alliance
• Not Dead Yet Aotearoa
• Palliative Care Nurses New Zealand
• The Nathaniel Centre
• The Salvation Army New Zealand

Sources

• Supplied
• 10 Questions for David Seymour
• Image: Save our Schools