It is desirable that medical practitioners read the End of Life Choice Bill as it is quite likely that legalisation of voluntary assisted dying may have occurred before the end of 2018
This opinion piece has been submitted by 10 retired and working doctors - Jack Havill, Libby Smales, Dame Margaret Sparrow, Lannes Johnson, Angel Hancock, John Musgrove, James Davidson, Alison Glover, Stanley Koshy and Frank Kueppers. Further details of the authors are provided at the end of the article
References
1. Havill J. Physician Assisted Dying – a survey of Waikato general practitioners. NZ Med J 2015;128(1409):70-71, 20 Feb 20
2.Poll of Doctors on Assisted Dying. New Zealand Doctor July 2015
3.Oliver Pam, Wilson M, Malpas Phillipa. New Zealand doctor’s and nurses’ views on legalising assisted dying in NZ. NZ Med J 2017;130(1456): 2 June
4. Malpas Phillipa, Mitchell Kay, Koschwanez Heidi. End-of-life medical decision making in general practice in NZ – 13 years on. NZ Med J 2015;128(1418):27-39, 24 July
5 Bernheim J, Deschepper R, Diselmans W, Mullie A, Bilsen J, Deliens J. Development of palliative care and legalization of euthanasia: antagonism or synergy? 2008;336:864-67
6.Wollongong University Health Services Unit – see submission by Dr Libby Smales to Health Select Committee on Assisted Dying.)
7. Dying Badly – NZ Stories, Havill and Barber. Online – see ‘Yestodignity’ website
