Medical Assistance in Dying support expanded locally through new hospital team
The Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) Board of Directors has accepted the Medical Advisory Committee’s process for the provision of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) at Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH).
MAiD describes a situation where a clinician provides or administers medication that intentionally brings about a patient’s death, at the request of that patient. In order to be eligible, the patient must be a competent adult suffering from a “grievous and irremediable medical condition” that causes the person to endure intolerable suffering.
Following the Supreme Court of Canada’s recognition of MAiD as a constitutional right, the Canadian Criminal Code was amended in June 2016 to exempt specific health care practitioners and others who help provide medical assistance in dying. There is now an obligation on the part of Canadian health service providers, including hospitals, to facilitate patient rights in this area.