Assisted dying
I enjoyed “Death struggle” (November 6) on assisted dying. I have been disappointed with the stance Hospice New Zealand has taken on this issue, as it would have seemed a natural option as a provider, given most of its patients are in the terminal phase of their illness.
As a surgeon, I have seen patients receiving best palliative care who have had distressing and unpleasant deaths from disseminated cancer. This, of course, takes a toll on the patient as well as their relatives. It is also deeply distressing for the staff looking aft er them.
The End of Life Choice Act will give patients back some control over when and how they die and has the majority of the public behind it. Hospice NZ seems to be taking the stance that it has the right to impose its ethical/religious views on patients rather than providing patient-focused care.
Hospice NZ hides behind the dictum “first, do no harm”, which is a gross simplification of a complex issue. It is possible to do nothing and cause harm and to do something harmful that has benefit – for example, when I operate to remove a cancer. This is clearly not the actual reason; rather it likely stems from a religious viewpoint. It was, however, gratifying to see on TVNZ 1’s Q+A with Jack Tame that Tōtara Hospice in Auckland is willing to offer assisted dying, a brave position for which it should be commended.
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