This section includes information that we hope will be useful to our members. It includes articles, presentations, key documents, and up-to-date news about our advocacy activities. Materials posted after June 6th are shown on a separate page.
A. WAYS TO PARTICIPATE
1. Write your MP
The Bill regarding hastened death is now under construction. If ever there was a time to promote palliative care to our MPs, it is NOW. The CSPCP Board has sent messages to the federal Ministers of Health and Justice, but the message will be far better heard if many voices speak. So please, email your MP. Demand palliative care be available to ALL Canadians who wish to have it.
If you don’t know who your MP is, go to this link and enter your postal code: http://www.parl.gc.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members. Your MP’s name will come up. Click on his/her name the email address will be displayed.
Ideas and sample letters:
2. Learn and prepare for the Special Session at the ALPM Conference (May 12, 2016). FOLLOW UP REPORTS ARE POSTED AT THE TOP OF SECTION B BELOW
On Thursday, May 12 from 15:30-17:30 EST, the CSPCP held a special session on Hastened Death at the ALPM Conference in Ottawa. Participants were encouraged to prepare for this session by reading the materials below. To view the Special Session outline and questions that were asked in the World Café. Click here Summary materials from the session are posted at the top of Section B below.
Presentation: Balancing Conscientious Objection and Patient Access, April 2015
Decision-Making Framework for Palliative Care Patient Access to Hastened Death, May 2016
Report from the Special Joint Committee on Physician-Assisted Dying
http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=8120006
Report from the External Panel on Options for a Legislative Response to Carter v. Canada (Dec 2015):
http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/other-autre/pad-amm/pad.pdf
Report from the Provincial-Territorial Expert Advisory Group
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/news/bulletin/2015/docs/eagreport_20151214_en.pdf
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta: Advice to the Profession re PAD (March 2016)
http://www.cpsa.ca/standardspractice/advice-to-the-profession/pad/
Commentary: Constitutional Exemptions for Physician Assisted Dying: The First Case of Judicial Authorization in Alberta (March 2016)
http://ablawg.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Blog_JK_HS_March2016-1.pdf
Notice Regarding Applications for Exemption from the Criminal Code Prohibition Against Physician Assisted Death (Supreme Court of BC, February 2016):
https://www.cpsbc.ca/files/pdf/BCSC-Notice-2016-02-25.pdf
Interim Guidance – Physician Assisted Dying (College of Physicians and Surgeons, BC, February 2016)
https://www.cpsbc.ca/files/pdf/IG-Physician-assisted-Dying.pdf
Interim Guidance on Physician Assisted Death (College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, 2016)
http://www.cpso.on.ca/Policies-Publications/Policy/Interim-Guidance-on-Physician-Assisted-Death
Key Considerations from Joint Centre for Bioethics Taskforce
Link to other resources from the Joint Centre for Bioethics http://jcb.utoronto.ca/news/physician-assisted-death-resources.shtml
3. Participate in the CSPCP Online Discussion Forum for Members Only.
The forum is at the bottom of this page.
4. Explore the LEARNING section below (SECTION C).
B. ADVOCACY ACTIVITIES – CSPCP
SUMMARY OF SPECIAL SESSION ON HASTENED DEATH (May 12, 2016)
On Thursday, May 12, the CSPCP held a special session on Hastened Death at the ALPM Conference in Ottawa. A description of the session is posted in section A2 above.
To view the presentation from Dr. Monica Branigan, which includes results of the CSPCP Member Survey on Hastened Death from Feb/March 2016, click here
Summary of (oral) discussions from Special Session
Summary of written input from World Cafe
SUBMISSION TO STANDING COMMITTEE ON JUSTICE AND HUMAN RIGHTS
The CSPCP submitted a written brief to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights regarding suggested amendments to Bill C-14.
We were also invited to give an in-person presentation on May 3rd. Dr. Monica Branigan represented the CSPCP.
Written Submission May 1, 2016 Read More
LETTERS TO MPs MARCH 2016
Many CSPCP members, including members of the Board, have already written to their MPs as suggested section A1 above.
LETTERS TO AND FROM FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MARCH/APRIL 2016
To Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould
Supporting document sent with letter on March 20, 2016
Response from Justice Minister
To Health Minister Jane Philpott
Supporting document sent with letter on March 21, 2016
To Standing Committee on Health
The CSPCP and CHPCA requested a meeting with the Standing Committee on Health. They said yes – but probably not until next year. In the meantime we have an introductory meeting scheduled the Chair of the Committee, Mr. Bill Casey, in May 2016.
LETTER TO PM TRUDEAU & KEY CABINET MINISTERS
The CSPCP sent key messages about hastened death and palliative care to Prime Minister Trudeau and key cabinet ministers.
CSPCP POSITION STATEMENTS & KEY MESSAGES
CSPCP Position Statements, Key Messages, and the CSPCP submission to the Federal Panel and the Special Joint Committee on Physician Assisted Dying are public information. They are posted on the Statements page of our public web site.
Key Messages re Physician-Hastened Death (October 2015)
The CSPCP has also endorsed the Vulnerable Persons Standard (March 1, 2016). Click here to be redirected to the Vulnerable Persons Standard web site.
We are a signatory on an Open Letter to the Prime Minister, Health Minister, and Justice Minister of Canada, calling for a legislated right to palliative care.
PRESENTATION TO SPECIAL JOINT COMMITTEE ON PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED DEATH
Dr. Monica Branigan represented the CSPCP in a submission to the Special Joint Committee on Physician-Assisted Death on Wednesday January 27, 2016. Dr. Branigan was part of a one hour panel with colleagues from the Canadian Medical Association and the Canadian Nurses Association.
The CSPCP’s presentation and written submission are posted here:
INPUT TO THE FEDERAL PANEL
The CSPCP submission to the Federal Panel (i.e., the External Panel on Options for a Legislative Response to Carter vs. Canada) in November 2015 is public information. It is posted on the Physician-Hastened Death section of our public web site. Click hereto view.
INPUT TO THE CANADIAN PROVINCIAL/TERRITORIAL EXPERT ADVISORY GROUP ON PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED DYING
On September 23, 2015, the CSPCP submitted input to a provincial/territorial expert advisory group on PAD that is being coordinated by Ontario. Huge thanks to the CSPCP Hastened Death Working Group for drafting the messages for the Board to finalize.
Submission: Read More
CSPCP MOTIONS SUBMITTED TO CMA
Physician Assisted Death was a hot topic at the CMA General Assembly in August 2015. Two motions prepared by the CSPCP were passed unanimously at the meeting.
- DM 5-63 “The Canadian Medical Association recognizes that the practice of assisted death as defined by the Supreme Court of Canada is distinct from the practice of palliative care.
- DM 5-62 “The Canadian Medical Association will advocate that discussion of and access to a high-quality palliative approach to care be available to all Canadians, including those with life-limiting illnesses who are considering assisted death.”
The Board wishes to thank Monica Branigan and Stephanie Connidis for their leadership in crafting the resolutions.
C. LEARNING: BILL C-14, ARTICLES, PRESENTATIONS AND OTHER MATERIALS
See also: Section A.2 – Learn and prepare for the Special Session at the ALPM Conference
BILL C-14
The Justice Department invited the CSPCP to attend a technical briefing prior to release of the draft bill on April 14, 2016. CSPCP President Dr. Susan MacDonald and Executive Director Kim Taylor attended by phone.
Slide deck from the briefing, English
Slide deck from the briefing, French
Text of draft bill: C-14 Medical Assistance
The CSPCP was later invited to present to both a Parliamentary Committee and a Senate Committee regarding proposed amendments to the draft Bill. To view our written submission click here
ARTICLES
The intent of the references below is to provide members with some of the resources that your Board found useful for coming to our respective understandings of this complex issue. By no means is the repository thought to be exhaustive, but rather a resource to which members can turn for respectful discussion of the issues.
Articles are arranged alphabetically by first author.
Desire for hastened death: exploring the emotions and the ethics.
Branigan M
Current Opinion Supportive and Palliative Care. 2015 Mar;9(1):64-71.
http://journals.lww.com/co-supportiveandpalliativecare/Fulltext/2015/03000/Desire_for_hastened_death___exploring_the_emotions.13.aspx
Dignity, death, and dilemmas: a study of Washington hospices and physician-assisted death.
Campbell CS, Black MA.
Journal Pain and Symptom Management. 2014 Jan;47(1):137-53.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23830529
Physician-assisted death: time to move beyond Yes or No
Downar J, Bailey TM, Kagan S, Librach L.
CMAJ 2014. DOI:10.1503 /cmaj.140204
http://www.cmaj.ca/content/early/2014/04/07/cmaj.140204.full.pdf
The Dying Role
Emanuel L, Bennett K, Richardson V
Journal of Palliative Medicine, v 10, no1, 2007
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17298264
What Health Care Professionals Need to Know about Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia
Gallagher R
http://www.virtualhospice.ca/en_US/Main+Site+Navigation/Home/For+Professionals/For+Professionals/The+Exchange/Current/What+Health+Care+Professionals+Need+to+Know+about+Physician_Assisted+Suicide+and+Euthanasia.aspx
Legalizing physician-assisted suicide and/or euthanasia: Pragmatic implications.
Hudson P, Hudson R, Philip J, Boughey M, Kelly B, Hertogh C.
Palliative and Supportive Care. 2015 Feb 11:1-11
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25670161
Assisted death and the slippery slope – finding clarity amid advocacy, convergence, and complexity.
Shariff MJ
Current Oncology, Vol.19. No 3. June 2012. pp 143 – 154
http://www.current-oncology.com/index.php/oncology/article/view/1095
OPINION PIECES
Dr. Pippa Hawley, Vancouver Sun, April 10, 2016
Palliative care and physician-hastened death: Whose role is it anyway?
Dr. Harvey Chochinov, Winnipeg Free Press, 3-part series, March 2016
Part 1. We must speak for those who can’t (Deals with palliative care)
Part 2. Too quick to ask for early death? (Deals with dementia)
Part 3. Protecting, caring for the mentally ill (Deals with Mental illness)
POLICY EXAMPLES
Seattle Cancer Agency (PDF)
Implementing a Death with Dignity Program at a Comprehensive Cancer Centre.
Loggers T, et al
NEJM 368;15, April 11 2013
NEJM_implementing_a_death_with_dignity_program_
PRESENTATIONS
Vandekieft – Oregon and Washington Experience
KEY DOCUMENTS AND POLLS FROM PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
CMA Framework Assisted Dying – Approved by Board, October 2015
Poll of Voting Members at the CMA General Assembly, August 2015
CMA Framework for Care at the End of Life June 2015
QUEBEC SITUATION/BILL 52 (as of Sept 2015)
The CSPCP Board is concerned about the impact of Bill 52 on palliative care physicians and services in Quebec. Quebec could potentially be a model for the rest of Canada so it is important that we pay attention and stand up for what we believe. A full explanation of the situation is posted below. The Board of the CSPCP has written to the Société québécoise des médecins en soins palliatifs (Quebec society of palliative care physicians) to offer our support.
D. ONLINE DISCUSSION FORUM – MOVING FORWARD IN THE CONTEXT OF CARTER
This forum is being made available to CSPCP members for the purpose of discussion and information and upon the terms set out herein. All comments posted must be non-inflammatory, respectful and accurate. By making a comment, you are personally responsible for the content of that comment as well as the legality, privacy rights, reputation and other rights of other members and third parties. By making a comment, you also agree to indemnify the CSPCP from any claim or litigation made by another member or a third party as a result of your comment. CSPCP reserves the right to remove any comment which, at its sole discretion, it determines does not comply with these terms.
