Many colleagues feel that the recent provincial survey on safeguards for the expansion of MAiD did not provide sufficient input opportunities for family physicians. Following advocacy by the Ridge Meadows Division, Doctors of BC is willing to meet with family physicians to take your feedback to the Ministry. RSVP here for the discussion on Monday, December 11 from 6 – 7 pm on zoom.
For more information, read the invitation from the Ridge Meadows Division which has been shared with all divisions:
Dear Members,
Over the past year we have been hearing your concerns surrounding the expansion of MAiD to include mental disorders as a sole underlying condition, which is now coming into effect March 17th, 2024. We have been hard at work with our Doctors of BC partners to make sure your voice is heard there, along with local government level, who can represent your voice at the Ministry level. We learned quickly that this legislation was being passed without stopping, but it was slowed down for more consultation. We shared loudly that the family physician voice must be part of this consultation. As part of this advocacy, we were happy to see a survey (referenced below) come out from the Ministry seeking provincial safeguard input. However, this survey was not set up to provide the feedback that the family physicians wanted to share as it was limited to do so.
In preparation for the Federal Government’s upcoming expansion of eligibility for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) to those who suffer solely from a diagnosis of mental disorder, the BC Ministry of Health has developed draft provincial safeguards to support the safe and appropriate provision of MAiD for this patient population. Doctors of BC has advocated for opportunities for physician input on these draft safeguards, and now the Ministry of Health is seeking your feedback. Until 5:00pm on November 15, 2023, NOW CLOSED you can share your thoughts with the BC Ministry of Health through their Feedback on Draft BC Provincial Safeguards for MAiD for Mental Disorders survey. The draft safeguards, along with background information, a summary of the scope of this Ministry consultation, and Q&As can be found in the survey. The change in eligibility for MAiD was originally scheduled to come into effect in February 2023, but the federal government delayed their plans in response to concerns raised during consultation with key stakeholders. The new legislation will now come into effect on March 17, 2024. For more on BC’s existing provincial safeguards for MAiD, visit the provincial MAiD website.
In light of that, Doctors of BC is willing to meet with you to hear your feedback on the safeguards that they can take up to the Ministry and understand the survey dissatisfaction to communicate to the Ministry in honour of quality improvement. We will also extend invitation to other Divisions if of interest. If you wish to have your voice heard, please RSVP here for our MAiD survey follow up discussion on Monday, December 11 from 6:00 to 7:00 pm virtual via Zoom.
