I searched and couldn't find this on here. Hope it is not a repeat.
Quebec’s landmark end-of-life care, the first of its kind to be passed in Canada, is set to come into force in less than a year. But many questions remain about how it will be implemented and also how it will jibe with federal law.
DWD Canada board member Françoise Hébert has written a helpful update on the former, providing a summary of recent French-language news reports that have been published about Bill 52.
Here’s what we’re learning now:
L’Actualité gouvernementale, a daily independent news site that reports on the activities of the national assembly of Québec, has issued recent articles regarding Bill 52, An Act Respecting End-of-Life Care, which was passed on June 5, 2014 and is expected to come into force in Québec on December 10, 2015.
Training guides for doctors
On January 28, the information bulletin "Doctors will be ready when Bill 52 is implemented" reported that the Collège des médecins du Québec is in the process of preparing three training guides. Already completed are a guide on the pharmacology of end-of-life care, and a guide on palliative sedation. A third guide relating to medical aid in dying is nearing completion but will be available only to physicians, as only physicians can provide legal assistance to die under Bill 52.
Yves Robert, secretary of the Collège des médecins du Québec, hopes that the guides will serve as training tools to explain the new law and help to standardize practices. He warned that there is much work to be done because many questions and misunderstandings remain. Health professionals and especially physicians need to fully understand the reach, limits and requirements of the new law. Yves Robert notes that the Ministry of Health is developing communication plans not only for staff working in the healthcare sector but also for the general public, to make everyone aware of the new services and rights that were created in Bill 52.
Most hospices won't offer physician assisted dying
Concerning palliative care, Lucie Wiseman, president of the Alliance des maisons de soins palliatifs, explains that each hospice in Québec determines the services that it offers and, as required by law, will let prospective patients know which services are available before their admission. She notes that to date, most hospices have determined they will not provide medical assistance to die.
Overhaul of healthcare system shouldn't delay Bill 52 implementation
The governing Liberals have tabled legislation that, if passed, will restructure the healthcare system in the province. The proposed rules will lead to "less bureaucracy for more care," Premier Philippe Couillard is reported to have said.
On January 29, the article "Ministry of Health prepares to live with Bill 52" reported that less than a year remains before Bill 52 comes into force. Meanwhile, Bill 10 has been introduced to restructure the health care system in Québec. Ministry officials report that this should not delay the implementation of Bill 52, and Yves Robert, secretary of the Collège des médecins du Québec, confirms that although Bill 10 might complicate things a bit, the December 10, 2015 implementation date for Bill 52 is feasible. Yves Robert does not believe that there will be a long list of patients requesting medical aid to die and guesses that maybe one or two percent, up to maybe a maximum of five percent of patients would request this particular end-of-life care service. Ministry officials note that medical aid in dying will be a highly exceptional procedure, rarely used within a tightly regulated framework.
Ministry officials also point out that palliative care services are being greatly enhanced, and that the final stages of life will be easier to live in Québec. A palliative care plan for 2015-2020 will be tabled at some point.
Developing standards for advance care plans
Concerning the advance medical directives register provided for in Bill 52, Ministry staff are working on the forms that members of the public will complete, setting out their medical directives for deposit in the registry. Regulations regarding the creation of the registry are expected in autumn 2015. Yves Robert comments that the directives will need to be precisely stated in order to be useful.
Creating the End-of-Life Care Commission
And finally, concerning the End-of-Life Care Commission provisions in Bill 52, Ministry officials are working on the structure of the Commission and have not begun the nomination process. The Collège des médecins du Québec hopes that the Commission will consider not only cases where medical aid to die was provided, but also cases where it was refused. Yves Robert suggests that the Commission should not see Bill 52 as an end point in the discussion of end-of-life care, but as a point of departure for continuing discussions on the many questions to which there are no current answers and upon which society needs to reflect. Ministry officials however, are only concerned at this stage with implementing the law as it stands on December 10, 2015. Summary prepared by Françoise Hébert, Board of Directors, Dying with Dignity Canada, from information bulletins that can be consulted in French at Actualitegouvernementale.ca.
Quebec’s landmark end-of-life care, the first of its kind to be passed in Canada, is set to come into force in less than a year. But many questions remain about how it will be implemented and also how it will jibe with federal law.
DWD Canada board member Françoise Hébert has written a helpful update on the former, providing a summary of recent French-language news reports that have been published about Bill 52.
Here’s what we’re learning now:
L’Actualité gouvernementale, a daily independent news site that reports on the activities of the national assembly of Québec, has issued recent articles regarding Bill 52, An Act Respecting End-of-Life Care, which was passed on June 5, 2014 and is expected to come into force in Québec on December 10, 2015.
Training guides for doctors
On January 28, the information bulletin "Doctors will be ready when Bill 52 is implemented" reported that the Collège des médecins du Québec is in the process of preparing three training guides. Already completed are a guide on the pharmacology of end-of-life care, and a guide on palliative sedation. A third guide relating to medical aid in dying is nearing completion but will be available only to physicians, as only physicians can provide legal assistance to die under Bill 52.
Yves Robert, secretary of the Collège des médecins du Québec, hopes that the guides will serve as training tools to explain the new law and help to standardize practices. He warned that there is much work to be done because many questions and misunderstandings remain. Health professionals and especially physicians need to fully understand the reach, limits and requirements of the new law. Yves Robert notes that the Ministry of Health is developing communication plans not only for staff working in the healthcare sector but also for the general public, to make everyone aware of the new services and rights that were created in Bill 52.
Most hospices won't offer physician assisted dying
Concerning palliative care, Lucie Wiseman, president of the Alliance des maisons de soins palliatifs, explains that each hospice in Québec determines the services that it offers and, as required by law, will let prospective patients know which services are available before their admission. She notes that to date, most hospices have determined they will not provide medical assistance to die.
Overhaul of healthcare system shouldn't delay Bill 52 implementation
The governing Liberals have tabled legislation that, if passed, will restructure the healthcare system in the province. The proposed rules will lead to "less bureaucracy for more care," Premier Philippe Couillard is reported to have said.
On January 29, the article "Ministry of Health prepares to live with Bill 52" reported that less than a year remains before Bill 52 comes into force. Meanwhile, Bill 10 has been introduced to restructure the health care system in Québec. Ministry officials report that this should not delay the implementation of Bill 52, and Yves Robert, secretary of the Collège des médecins du Québec, confirms that although Bill 10 might complicate things a bit, the December 10, 2015 implementation date for Bill 52 is feasible. Yves Robert does not believe that there will be a long list of patients requesting medical aid to die and guesses that maybe one or two percent, up to maybe a maximum of five percent of patients would request this particular end-of-life care service. Ministry officials note that medical aid in dying will be a highly exceptional procedure, rarely used within a tightly regulated framework.
Ministry officials also point out that palliative care services are being greatly enhanced, and that the final stages of life will be easier to live in Québec. A palliative care plan for 2015-2020 will be tabled at some point.
Developing standards for advance care plans
Concerning the advance medical directives register provided for in Bill 52, Ministry staff are working on the forms that members of the public will complete, setting out their medical directives for deposit in the registry. Regulations regarding the creation of the registry are expected in autumn 2015. Yves Robert comments that the directives will need to be precisely stated in order to be useful.
Creating the End-of-Life Care Commission
And finally, concerning the End-of-Life Care Commission provisions in Bill 52, Ministry officials are working on the structure of the Commission and have not begun the nomination process. The Collège des médecins du Québec hopes that the Commission will consider not only cases where medical aid to die was provided, but also cases where it was refused. Yves Robert suggests that the Commission should not see Bill 52 as an end point in the discussion of end-of-life care, but as a point of departure for continuing discussions on the many questions to which there are no current answers and upon which society needs to reflect. Ministry officials however, are only concerned at this stage with implementing the law as it stands on December 10, 2015. Summary prepared by Françoise Hébert, Board of Directors, Dying with Dignity Canada, from information bulletins that can be consulted in French at Actualitegouvernementale.ca.