Do I qualify for medical assistance in dying? How do I request it?

Read the Nidus fact sheet (link below) on medical assistance in dying (MAiD) to review the eligibility requirements based on recent amendments/changes to the Criminal Code of Canada.

MAiD is new and it is part of a much larger context dealing with health care consent and patients’ rights. The fact sheet also discusses existing legislation in BC that gives patients the right to refuse consent to health care you are offered, even if it may result in your death.

It is also important to know that you can authorize someone to consent on your behalf if you are incapacitated. Under BC law, this will be a representative named in a Representation Agreement.

 

UPDATE Aug. 23/16 – We contacted the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC in advance of releasing our fact sheet to get their input on the forms they produced for physicians. We found some discrepancies between the BC forms and the federal legislation. We also noticed that some health authorities posted the physician forms on their websites and are making various changes of their own—likely as they have also noted discrepancies. The College got back to us acknowledging concerns about these different versions. The College also said they have passed on our feedback to a provincial working group that is planning to make forms available to the BC public. We do not have a contact for this working group.

 

Click to read the MAiD fact sheet

Click to read an in-depth review of the BC forms for MAiD

 

Thank you to the Nidus Practice Advisory Group make up of legal and community experts for their input. A special thanks to our summer student and third year law student at UBC, Nahal Iranpour, for her research and analysis.

 

Who is Nidus?

• Nidus was established in 1995 by other non-profit groups to be a resource on Representation Agreements and personal planning.
• We collaborate with health care and legal professionals and with government, but we are independent and our mandate as a non-profit charity is to serve the public.
• Nidus does not have a position on MAiD. Our objective is to provide access to accurate and current information. We rely on the input and feedback we receive from the public and concerned third parties.
• We have a Practice Advisory Group including legal and community experts who help us to analyze current issues and promote best practices.

Can you support Nidus?

Nidus does not receive funding from government. We sometimes receive a grant from other sources for short-term projects. We rely on donations and modest fees for service to cover ongoing activities and operating costs.

Please consider making a donation by cheque or online through Canada Helps. We have charitable status and you will receive a receipt for income tax purposes.