Mental health: Quebec will not immediately allow medical assistance in dying
We must first continue the consultation and obtain a real social consensus, said Minister McCann.
Quebec is backtracking and does not want to allow access to medical assistance in dying for people with serious mental health problems at the moment. Everything is suspended, the time of a consultation, which will also be further.
Health and Social Services Minister Danielle McCann made the announcement Monday morning before the opening of the National Forum on the Evolution of the End-of-Life Care Act, which is being held in Montreal. all day.
“We decided to take a break from the situation of people who have a mental health problem with regard to access to medical assistance in dying. So, on March 12, the College of Physicians was asked to postpone and not give access to medical assistance in dying to people suffering from severe and persistent mental health problems with the other criteria of the law. We will first continue our consultations with the public,
”announced Minister McCann.
March 12 is the date when the criterion of being “at the end of life” will no longer be necessary to have access to medical aid in dying - which opens the door to people with mental health problems.
Quebec has decided not to appeal the judgment rendered in the “Truchon et Gladu” case, which had rendered the end-of-life test, set out in the Act respecting end-of-life care, inoperative, as a condition of eligibility for medical assistance in dying.
We must first continue the consultation and obtain a real social consensus, so that citizens feel confident and comfortable
with the choices that will be made, stressed Minister McCann.
“This suspension and this period of reflection will only end when a clear and general consensus will emerge among the population and the experts consulted. So we will take all the time necessary to reach this consensus, ”said Minister McCann, in her address to the 200 participants at the forum.
Health and Social Services Minister Danielle McCann made the announcement Monday morning before the opening of the National Forum on the Evolution of the End-of-Life Care Act, which is being held in Montreal. all day.
“We decided to take a break from the situation of people who have a mental health problem with regard to access to medical assistance in dying. So, on March 12, the College of Physicians was asked to postpone and not give access to medical assistance in dying to people suffering from severe and persistent mental health problems with the other criteria of the law. We will first continue our consultations with the public,
”announced Minister McCann.
March 12 is the date when the criterion of being “at the end of life” will no longer be necessary to have access to medical aid in dying - which opens the door to people with mental health problems.
Quebec has decided not to appeal the judgment rendered in the “Truchon et Gladu” case, which had rendered the end-of-life test, set out in the Act respecting end-of-life care, inoperative, as a condition of eligibility for medical assistance in dying.
We must first continue the consultation and obtain a real social consensus, so that citizens feel confident and comfortable
with the choices that will be made, stressed Minister McCann.
“This suspension and this period of reflection will only end when a clear and general consensus will emerge among the population and the experts consulted. So we will take all the time necessary to reach this consensus, ”said Minister McCann, in her address to the 200 participants at the forum.
Need to clarify, says Hivon
PQ member Véronique Hivon, who has long been in charge of this file, raises a lingering uncertainty, because although the minister made a verbal request to the College of Physicians not to allow medical aid in dying to people with serious health problems mental,
until the consultation on this subject is carried out, nothing is written in a text of law on this subject.
“The problem with the current situation, if there is no action taken by the government of a legal nature, is that the possibility was opened by the choice of the government to neither legislate nor request a stay. So theoretically, although the minister says that she does not want it, a person suffering
from mental illness could make a request to a doctor ”for medical assistance in dying, concluded the PQ member.
"It remains to be clarified how the minister will legally close the door that was opened last Tuesday by the choice
not to make legislative intervention or to request a stay," she added.
Quebec could have closed this door by asking for a stay of court, the time to adjust the legislation, or change the law.
But he chose not to change the law and simply to remove the criterion of being “at the end of life”.
Statistics
During the forum, Dr. Michel A. Bureau, president of the Commission on end-of-life care, reported that approximately 4,000 people in Quebec
have received medical assistance in dying since December 10, 2015 - the date on which the law came into force.
The number is increasing year by year, now that the law is better known. He expects a plateau of 2500 per year.
PQ member Véronique Hivon, who has long been in charge of this file, raises a lingering uncertainty, because although the minister made a verbal request to the College of Physicians not to allow medical aid in dying to people with serious health problems mental,
until the consultation on this subject is carried out, nothing is written in a text of law on this subject.
“The problem with the current situation, if there is no action taken by the government of a legal nature, is that the possibility was opened by the choice of the government to neither legislate nor request a stay. So theoretically, although the minister says that she does not want it, a person suffering
from mental illness could make a request to a doctor ”for medical assistance in dying, concluded the PQ member.
"It remains to be clarified how the minister will legally close the door that was opened last Tuesday by the choice
not to make legislative intervention or to request a stay," she added.
Quebec could have closed this door by asking for a stay of court, the time to adjust the legislation, or change the law.
But he chose not to change the law and simply to remove the criterion of being “at the end of life”.
Statistics
During the forum, Dr. Michel A. Bureau, president of the Commission on end-of-life care, reported that approximately 4,000 people in Quebec
have received medical assistance in dying since December 10, 2015 - the date on which the law came into force.
The number is increasing year by year, now that the law is better known. He expects a plateau of 2500 per year.
There are more or less 68,000 deaths in Quebec per year and, of that number, 33 percent are caused by cancers, reported Dr. Bureau.Most people who have cancer seek medical assistance in dying, or 1,250 people out of 33,000 who died from cancer that year, he said.
"It is suffering that commands medical aid in dying, not illness," concluded Dr. Bureau.
Me Ménard
For his part, the lawyer specializing in medical matters Jean-Pierre Ménard welcomed the extension of the consultation announced by the Minister.
“To consult as long as it takes is desirable; we can never consult too much in this area.
But neither should the consultation serve to drown the fish, ”he said.
Mr. Ménard points out that in any case, each request for assistance is assessed on an individual basis
and that there are already cases where there are concomitant mental and physical illnesses.
"It is suffering that commands medical aid in dying, not illness," concluded Dr. Bureau.
Me Ménard
For his part, the lawyer specializing in medical matters Jean-Pierre Ménard welcomed the extension of the consultation announced by the Minister.
“To consult as long as it takes is desirable; we can never consult too much in this area.
But neither should the consultation serve to drown the fish, ”he said.
Mr. Ménard points out that in any case, each request for assistance is assessed on an individual basis
and that there are already cases where there are concomitant mental and physical illnesses.