Report

Carefully, compassionately

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation looks at how we can learn from Canadian mistakes to ensure assisted dying can be safe.

Objectors to assisted dying policy often cite Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) programme to exemplify the danger of doing so, including concerns about due process and eligibility.

The following briefing is designed to evaluate where Canada has gone wrong, why it should not deter policymakers in Britain, and how we learn from Canadian mistakes to ensure assisted dying can be safe.

Criticisms of Canadian policy focus on procedure and eligibility, but these can be safeguarded by following policies in place in other countries. Procedural and administrative problems have been overlooked in Canada. This includes allowing staff without appropriate qualifications to assess assisted dying applications, and failing to provide adequate training to screen cases. Expanding eligibility to those with non-terminal conditions raised concerns.

We recommend the following: Detailed procedures should be legislated which provide clarity to physicians. Active oversight over each case should be enshrined to safeguard due process, and that alternatives should be available so no one accepts assisted dying before they wish.