Assisted dying up for debate

At this year’s AMA National Conference, I will be chairing a Q&A session on assisted dying (euthanasia and physician assisted suicide) as part of the AMA’s five-year policy review.

The session will be facilitated by Tony Jones, the compere of the ABC’s Q&A program, and features a panel including Dr Karen Hitchcock and Associate Professor Mark Yates, two medical practitioners who oppose doctor involvement in assisted dying, and Professor Bob Douglas and Professor Malcolm Parker to advocate the contrary view. Medico-legal expertise will be provided by Avant’s Georgie Haysom.

While fully acknowledging the growing political and community interest in assisted dying, this Q&A session has been specifically designed to facilitate an intra-professional discussion – giving doctors the opportunity to discuss among their colleagues whether the medical profession should, or should not, be involved in assisted dying (were it to become legal in Australia).

Only medical practitioners will be allowed to ask questions during the session, though we have invited interested individuals outside the profession to attend and observe.

The issues raised during the session will be considered in the wider policy review, and a summary of the session will be prepared for a future edition of Australian Medicine.  

The AMA member survey on euthanasia and physician assisted suicide has now closed. Thank you to all those members who completed the survey.

We received more than 3500 responses, which will need to be collated and analysed. Members will be kept informed of the survey results, which will be used to inform the review.

I would like to take this opportunity to assure all members that the AMA has made no commitment to change, nor to retain, the current policy on assisted dying.

I have heard from members opposed to assisted dying who fear our member consultation, particularly the member survey, indicates the AMA has already made a commitment to change our policy.

Ironically, I have also heard from members who support assisted dying that the AMA has already decided to retain the current policy, and that efforts to consult the membership are not serious.

Neither is true. We have not, and will not, pre-empt any policy decision. 

What we have done is be careful and respectful of differing views. I have declined personal invitations to speak to organisations on 'either side of the debate'.

Over the years, the AMA has been criticised by members (and others) for not surveying members on assisted dying. When the time came to review the policy as part of our five-year review cycle, we considered it imperative that all members have the opportunity to be heard on this very important issue.

As I have highlighted previously, we are providing a variety of opportunities for members to express their views – from the call for open-ended comments on current AMA policy in Australian Medicine last year, to the member survey and the National Conference Q&A session. 

In addition to member consultation, we will consider issues such as national and international views and legislative initiatives in relation to assisted dying, and will consult with other medical organisations within Australia. 

The AMA Federal Council will decide on the final policy direction, and members will be kept informed of those decisions.

Please be assured that we are doing our best to facilitate this process as fairly, and as transparently, as possible for our members. If you have any questions regarding the review, please do not hesitate to email them to ethics@ama.com.au.

For more information on the 2016 AMA National Conference, please refer to the AMA website at ama.com.au. This site includes information on how to register for the conference and information specific to the Q&A session on assisted dying including panel biographies.