Terminally ill patients do not fear death but the process of dying, a West Australian parliamentary inquiry into end of life choices has heard.
Between five to 10 per cent of terminally ill patients in palliative care say they suffer severe and debilitating side effects, much greater than previous estimates of about two per cent, according to Victorian Medical specialist Richard Barnes.
Representing the WA branch of Doctors for Assisted Dying Choice, Dr Barnes said current laws concerning voluntary assisted dying came between doctors and their duty to relieve the "enormous suffering" of terminally ill patients.
"None of us are in medicine to kill our patients," he told the inquiry on Monday.
The joint select committee were shown data from the Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration, which revealed more than half of patients report moderate side-effects in the days before their death.
Retired anaesthetist Peter Beahan said "patients don't fear death but the process of death, and with good reason."
Dr Beahan argued voluntary assisted dying, unlike sedation or other palliative care techniques, let people spend their last moments saying goodbye to loved ones.
Law professors Lindy Willmott and Ben White warned that doctors had a poor knowledge of laws governing patient consent and end-of-life treatments.
The laws around life-sustaining treatments on patients unable to consent were complex, with most doctors believing they don't need to know the law if they're acting according to clinical practice, Professor White said.
Clear and strong legislation was needed on voluntary or assisted euthanasia to protect both doctors and patients, the researchers said.
This week's hearings will also hear from the Australian Medical Association and Catholic Healthcare Australia.
Victoria has passed legislation to set up the country's only voluntary assisted-dying scheme, which is due to start from mid-2019.
Australian Associated Press
