People seeking voluntary euthanasia under a proposed Queensland scheme would not need to see a specialist.
The patient must,however,be separately and independently assessed by two doctors.
“If we did mandate a requirement that one doctor be a specialist,that would likely cause[access] issues in those regional and remote areas,given that specialists in some fields are largely based in south-east Queensland,” Health Department social policy and legislation branch manager Eve Gibson said.
To access the Queensland scheme,adults must have been diagnosed with a disease,illness or medical condition that is advanced and progressive. They must also be expected to die within 12 months and be experiencing suffering they consider intolerable.
Catholic Health Australia strategy and mission director Rebecca Burdick Davies said having a terminal illness was a key criteria in the proposed laws,but patients may not have seen the right specialist before choosing to die.
“Access to a specialist in their diagnosis is left entirely to the discretion of the[voluntary assisted dying] practitioners,” she said.
“This is a serious gap in the checks and balances of the legislation – it leaves people exposed to coercion or making the most serious decision without all the information.”
Ms Burdick Davies also raised concerns about “doctor shopping”,as there was no requirement for a patient to see their usual GP,and no limit on how many times they could request euthanasia.