Removal of warning in medical guide to not deliberately kill patients 'misinterpreted'

Suzanne Crowe, President of the Irish Medical Council. Picture: Moya Nolan

The removal of a warning to not deliberately kill a patient from the Medical Council’s latest guide to professional conduct was “misinterpreted by some”, an Oireachtas committee has heard.

The Oireachtas committee on assisted dying heard that the Medical Council, which regulates doctors in Ireland and ensures high standards, currently has no position on assisted dying.

Medical Council president Dr Suzanne Crowe said the removal of a sentence from the latest professional conduct and ethics guide which stated: “You must not take part in the deliberate killing of a patient”, was “misinterpreted by some.”

Dr Crowe said at no point did the council consider assisted dying when removing the sentence, adding that edits and removals are common with each revision.

“It is important to point out at this point that the Medical Council does not have a position on the topic,” she said.

Dr Crowe said the guide, which came into effect on January 1, states that medical professionals must comply with the law, noting that it is illegal for doctors to assist a person to end their own life.

“The removal of this sentence was not the Medical Council taking a stance or paving the way for any possible future change, and should not be interpreted this way. The removal of this sentence does not diminish the law,” she said.

Independent senator Rónán Mullen said the "convenient" removal had raised eyebrows amid ongoing debates on assisted dying.

Meanwhile, committee members heard from Voluntary Assisted Dying Australia and New Zealand representatives who said medical professionals involved in providing assisted deaths have found it “fulfilling and rewarding” since its commencement in January 2023.

Dr Cameron McLaren said the option has provided comfort and empowerment to those eligible, namely those over the age of 18 who are suffering and likely to die within six months.

Although Dr McLaren said assisted dying has been a positive change in Australia and New Zealand, it is “not without its challenges”.

Dr McLaren said there have been unintended issues with access to assisted dying “for the very people for whom our legislation was intended”.

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He said otherwise-eligible people have been excluded on “mere formalities” due to the overbearing nature of the legislation in some states. For example, healthcare professionals are prohibited from informing terminal patients of assisted death as an option.

“If introduced in Ireland, I encourage you to anticipate the need for evolution. This may be interpreted by some as advocating for a ‘slippery slope’, but I firmly believe that the slope does not need to be slippery — simply patient-centred and allowed to evolve as all patient care does over time,” he said.

The committee heard that most of those who are eligible opt to shorten their lives by “days or weeks at most” adding that the introduction of legislation has not resulted in a “slippery slope” or a “free for all”.

Dr Peter Allcroft said assisted deaths account for between 1% and 1.5% of all anticipated deaths in Australia adding that there are no signs of it increasing.