An important message from 150 Western Australian medical practitioners to the WA parliament.
150 Oncologists, palliative care specialists, professors of medicine, general practitioners, specialists, associate professors, former AMA presidents and a long-standing former dean of the medical school in Perth, have put their name to a petition, calling on the WA parliament to reject the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2019.
These experts, 20 of whom have worked in regional WA, argue that this radical bill will put the lives and wellbeing of many Western Australian unnecessarily at risk.
The stakes could not be higher.
Open Letter to all Western Australian Members of Parliament from 150 Western Australian medical practitioners opposed to the legalisation of assisted suicide and euthanasia
October 2019
Dear Members of the Parliament of Western Australia
We the undersigned medical practitioners of Western Australia urge you to vote against the passage of any bill that would legalise assisted suicide and euthanasia, which are sometimes referred to as “voluntary assisted dying”.
We do not believe that such legislation is needed in Western Australia and that it would be a regressive not a progressive change, putting the lives and wellbeing of many Western Australians unnecessarily at risk.
Assisting our patients to commit suicide or intentionally killing them by euthanasia is never acceptable. It is not and can never be regarded as medical treatment or medical care.
As the World Medical Assembly resolution states:
Euthanasia, that is the act of deliberately ending the life of a patient, even at the patient’s own request or at the request of close relatives, is unethical. Physician-assisted suicide, like euthanasia, is unethical and must be condemned by the medical profession. Where the assistance of the physician is intentionally and deliberately directed at enabling an individual to end his or her own life, the physician acts unethically. Physicians [should] refrain from participating in euthanasia, even if national law allows it.
This position is supported by nearly all national medical associations, including the Australian Medical Association. Additionally, assisted suicide and euthanasia are opposed by the Australian & New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine and the Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine.
101 Victorian oncologists signed a letter in September 2017 opposing the legalisation of euthanasia and assisted suicide in that state.
With rising suicide rates in Western Australia, we believe that changing the law to permit physicians to assist suicide will wrongly divide Western Australians into two classes - those whose suicides we seek to prevent and those whose suicides we approve and facilitate. As the profession in society tasked with preserving life and using our skills to optimise care to those afflicted by illness, we believe that assisting an individual to take his or her own life for any reason is never warranted and is never an appropriate solution to their illness.
We respect an individual’s right in the community, but autonomy is not an absolute right. It must be balanced against the risks to the community as a whole, especially the vulnerable.
We are greatly concerned that the legalisation of assisted suicide and euthanasia would place unspoken pressures on vulnerable populations in our community such as the elderly, the disabled and the depressed. These Western Australians have a right to an expectation of care - not an option of care. We are very concerned about legislation over time changing societal values and attitudes towards disadvantaged groups in our community. No number of alleged safeguards can ever guarantee that there are no wrongful deaths from assisted suicide and euthanasia, including the deaths of those who are either overtly or subtly pressured into feeling a burden on others such that they would be better off dead.
Those at risk of wrongful death need and deserve our society’s care and protection, so that their individual rights are not abused.
Given the historic and current abuses that have led to royal commissions into the care of the elderly and into the abuse of those with a disability, how can we consider introducing a new, lethal way of potentially abusing these and other vulnerable groups in our society?
Once introduced, however initially restricted, there is a tendency for the access criteria for assisted suicide and euthanasia to expand. In some jurisdictions those with dementia or mental illness, as well as children are now eligible. Involuntary euthanasia also occurs. (See the documentary Fatal Flaws for real-life examples.)
We urge you not to be unduly swayed by anecdotal reports of difficult deaths, often from decades ago. Advances in palliative medicine have been and continue to be significant. Western Australians can and should have confidence that, palliative care can support them and provide holistic care to the individual and their families, in experiencing a peaceful death.
What is needed is the urgent correction of funding deficits in the provision of specialist palliative care and support services for those who are approaching their end of life. This applies throughout Western Australia but especially in regional and remote areas, including indigenous communities. Addressing these significant service gaps, including increasing the workforce and providing carer support services and hospital and community-based palliative care, will be far more helpful for all Western Australians at the end of life compared with the legalisation of assisted suicide and euthanasia.
We urge you to carefully consider our concerns as physicians at the coalface of health care in Western Australia and to exercise your vote responsibly by rejecting such a fundamental change to the law for the good of the whole community, especially the most vulnerable.
Signed: by the below-listed signatories who support this statement as individual health professionals and not as representatives of any hospital or other organisation with which they are associated.
1 Professor Arlene Chan |
Medical Oncologist / Professor of Medicine |
Perth |
2 Dr Andrew Dean |
Medical Oncologist |
Perth |
3. Dr Michael Gannon |
Obstetrician, Former Federal AMA President |
Perth |
4 Dr Mariam Bahemia |
General Practitioner (GP) |
Perth |
5 Dr Kaye Miller |
Breast physician |
Perth |
6 Assoc Prof Marek Havlat |
Pathologist |
Perth |
7 Mr Peter Willsher |
Surgeon |
Perth |
8 Dr Manson Chan |
GP |
Perth |
9 Dr Jespal Gill |
Pathologist |
Perth |
10 Dr Anne Long |
Medical Oncologist |
Perth |
11 Dr Simon Edmunds |
Consultant Physician |
Perth |
12 Professor Ross Baker |
Haemato-oncologist / Professor of Medicine |
Perth |
13 Assoc Professor Joe Cardaci |
Consultant Physician |
Perth |
14 Dr Chris Lomma |
Medical Oncologist |
Perth |
15 Dr Anil Tandon |
Palliative Care physician |
Perth |
16 Dr Shannyn George |
Palliative Care Physician |
Perth |
17 Dr Byron Scott |
Advanced trainee palliative care |
Perth |
18 Assoc Professor Luke Torre |
Anaesthetist /ICU specialist |
Perth |
19 Dr Antoinette Torre |
GP |
Perth |
20 Dr Carolyn Masarei |
Palliative care Physician |
Bunbury |
21 Emeritus Professor Michael Quinlan |
Consultant Physician / Professor of Medicine |
Perth |
22 Dr Alice Phua |
Palliative care physician |
Perth |
23 Dr Michael Bray |
Consultant Physician |
Perth |
24 Dr Hannah Watts |
Intern |
Perth |
25 Dr Tanuja Martin |
GP |
Perth |
26 Dr Michael Chong |
GP |
Perth |
27 Dr David Liaw |
GP |
Perth |
28 Dr Peggy Leung |
GP |
Perth |
29 Dr Ivan Ling |
Consultant Physician |
Perth |
30 Dr Merrilyn Ma |
Intern |
Perth |
31 Dr Darryn Rennie |
GP |
Bunbury |
32 Dr Philip Wu |
GP |
Mandurah |
33 Dr Lachlan Dunjey |
GP |
Perth |
34 Emeritus Professor Colin Binns |
GP / Professor of Public Health |
Perth |
35 Dr Eleanor Sharland |
GP |
Perth |
36 Dr Colin Smyth |
GP |
Northam |
37 Dr Andrew Leech |
GP |
Perth |
38 Dr David Van Der Moezel |
GP |
Perth |
39 Mr Mark Hurworth |
Surgeon |
Perth |
40 Dr Barry Fatovich |
GP |
Perth |
41 Dr Felicity Wild |
GP |
Perth |
42 Dr Dawn Reeler |
GP |
Exmouth |
43 Dr Lydia Peter |
GP |
Perth |
44 Dr Ray Binns |
Psychiatrist |
Perth |
45 Dr Cornelius Burma |
GP |
Perth |
46 Dr Paul Kwei |
Anaesthetist |
Perth |
47 Professor Douglas Bridges |
Palliative care physician / Professor of Medicine |
Perth |
48 Dr Christine Jeffries-Stokes |
Consultant Physician |
Kalgoorlie |
49 Dr Jonathan Tembo |
Emergency Medicine specialist |
Kalgoorlie |
50 Dr Jessica Stillwell |
GP |
Kalgoorlie |
51 Professor Cameron Platell |
Surgeon/P rofessor of Surgery |
Perth |
52 Associate Professor Daphne Tsoi |
Medical Oncologist |
Perth |
53 Dr Susan Shaw |
GP |
Albany |
54 Dr Elayne Fontana |
GP |
Albany |
55 Professor Gabriel Lee |
Surgeon /Professor of Surgery |
Perth |
56 Dr Grace Gong |
Consultant physician |
Perth |
57 Dr Rosslyn de Wet |
Haematologist |
Perth |
58 Dr Celeste Williamson |
GP Registrar |
Bunbury |
59 Dr Jaynie Sambell |
Intern |
Perth |
60 Dr Andre Koizlowski |
Consultant Physician |
Perth/Bunbury /Margaret River |
61 Dr Nathan Combs |
GP Registrar |
Geraldton |
62 Dr Caroline Crabb |
Psychiatrist |
Perth |
63 Professor Guy Van Hazel |
Medical Oncologist / Professor of Medicine |
Perth |
64 Dr Derek Eng |
Palliative Care Physician |
Perth |
65 Dr Kevin Eng |
GP |
Perth |
66 Dr Hoa Pham |
GP |
Perth |
67 Dr Crystal Durell |
GP |
Perth |
68 Professor Anna Nowak |
Medical Oncologist / Professor of Medicine |
Perth |
69 Dr Karl Staer |
GP |
Esperance |
70 Dr Anton Leonard |
Anaesthetist /ICU specialist |
Perth |
71 Dr Annie ( Rehka) Prasad |
Consultant Physician |
Perth |
72 Dr Keng Siang Ung |
Consultant Physician |
Perth |
73 Dr Dorothy Graham |
Consultant Physician |
Perth |
74 Dr Yuli Ten |
Consultant Physician |
Perth |
75 Miss Cecilia Wee |
Surgeon |
Perth |
76 Miss Elayne Ooi |
Surgeon |
Perth |
77 Dr Dorothy Milly Wong Tin Niam |
Geriatrician |
Perth |
78 Dr Rebecca Howman |
Haematologist |
Perth |
79 Dr Murray James-Wallace |
GP |
Geraldton |
80 Associate Professor Greg Perry |
Consultant Physician |
Perth |
81 Associate Professor Colin Tang |
Radiation Oncologist |
Perth |
82 Dr Ashwini Davray |
Palliative care specialist |
Perth |
83 Dr Annette Lim |
Medical Oncologist |
Perth |
84 Dr Stephen Hinton |
Consultant physician |
Bunbury |
85 Associate Professor Hassan Kamalddin |
Consultant physician |
Perth |
86 Dr Joshua Dass |
Radiation oncologist |
Perth |
87 Dr Patrick Cox |
Consultant Physician |
Bunbury |
88 Dr Jonathan Chia |
GP |
Perth |
89 Dr Andrew Hunt |
Anaesthetist |
Perth |
90 Dr Andrew Chong |
Consultant Physician |
Perth |
91 Associate Professor Rosanna Capolingua |
GP, Former Federal AMA President |
Perth |
92 Dr Christopher Toh |
Resident medical officer |
Perth |
93 Dr Andrew Kam |
Radiologist |
Perth |
94 Dr Amanda Lamont |
GP |
Perth |
95 Dr Rachel Currie |
Intern |
Perth |
96 Dr Tim Ong |
GP |
Perth |
97 Associate Professor Douglas Cordell |
GP |
Perth |
98 Dr Kyle Kophamel |
Emergency Medicine Specialist |
Perth |
99 Professor Osvaldo Almeida |
Geriatric Psychiatrist / Professor of Geriatric Psychiatry |
Perth |
100 Dr Priscilla Tan |
GP |
Perth |
101 Dr Bianca van der Nest |
GP Registrar |
Perth |
102 Dr Elias Samaha |
GP |
Perth |
103 Dr Tara Pinto |
Psychiatrist |
Perth |
103 Dr Yogaratnam Jegan |
Psychiatry Registrar |
Perth |
104 Dr Patrick Cheah |
GP |
Perth |
105 Dr Jie Choo |
Psychiatry registrar |
Perth |
106 Dr Firdaus Abd Rahim |
Consultant Physician |
Perth |
107 Dr Julian Cooney |
Haematologist |
Perth |
108 Dr Francesco Piccolo |
Consultant Physician |
Perth |
109 Assoc/ Professor Graham Cullingford |
Surgeon |
Perth |
110 Emeritus Professor Ian Puddey |
Consultant Physician/ Professor of Medicine / Former Dean UWA Medical School |
Perth |
111 Dr Peter Sarkis |
Advanced trainee geriatric medicine |
Perth |
112 Dr Stephen Fenner |
Psychiatrist |
Perth |
113 Dr Stefan Schutte |
Psychiatrist |
Perth |
114 Dr Kate Ingram |
Geriatrician |
Perth |
115 Dr Megan Graieg |
GP |
Perth |
116 Dr Edna Sun |
GP |
Perth |
117 Dr Kelvin Sun |
GP |
Perth |
118 Dr John Hayes |
Consultant Physician |
Perth / Kalgoorlie/Geraldton |
119 Dr Andrew Leech |
GP |
Perth |
120 Dr Samuel Vasikaran |
Pathologist |
Perth |
121 Dr Kevin Chee |
Ophthalmologist |
Perth |
122 Dr Shannon Dantoc |
GP |
Perth |
123 Dr Yee-Ling Kuok |
Psychiatrist |
Perth |
124 Dr Robert McWilliam |
GP |
Perth |
125 Dr Colin Broun |
GP |
Perth |
126 Dr Dawn Reeler |
GP |
Exmouth |
127 Dr Pam Williams |
GP |
Exmouth |
128 Dr Joshua Juniper |
GP |
Perth |
129 Dr Tanya Yuen |
GP |
Perth |
130 Dr Renu John |
GP |
Perth |
131 Dr Jonathan Perez |
Psychiatry Registrar |
Perth |
132 Dr Jason Lim |
Ophthalmologist |
Perth |
133 Dr Malcolm Hodsdon |
GP |
Kalgoorlie |
134 Dr Susan St Clair |
GP |
Perth |
135 Dr Sa Ra Kim |
GP |
Perth |
136 Dr Wendy Yeo |
GP |
Perth |
137 Mr Jose-Cid Fernandez |
Surgeon |
Perth |
138 Dr Lydia Kuilenberg |
GP |
Perth |
139 Dr Lee-Anne Gray |
Resident medical officer |
Bunbury |
140 Dr Paula Moffat |
Geriatrician / Palliative care physician |
Perth |
141 Dr Bernice Lim |
GP registrar |
Perth |
142 Miss Vineeta Singh |
Surgeon |
Perth |
143 Dr Ruth Highman |
GP |
Geraldton |
144 Dr Sarah Booker |
GP |
Perth |
145 Mr Michael Shanahan |
Surgeon |
Perth |
146 Dr Misty Blakeman |
Consultant Physician |
Perth |
147 Dr Beverley Teh |
GP |
Perth |
148 Dr Peter Nguyen |
Radiation Oncology trainee |
Perth |
150 Dr Louise Diaz |
Resident medical officer |
Perth |
Signatories collected by Professor Arlene Chan Medical Oncologist Perth with the assistance from Assoc Professor Marion Harris Medical Oncologist Melbourne.