News

A third of surgeons in New South Wales admit to euthanasia

Christopher Zinn, Sydney

Euthanasia advocate Dr Philip Nitschke has called for a review of the laws on mercy killing after a study showed that more than a third of surgeons admitted hastening the deaths of terminally ill patients, mostly without explicit consent.

The anonymous poll of 683 surgeons in New South Wales, published in the Medical Journal of Australia (2001;175:511-5), found that 247 (36%) had administered high doses of painkillers with the intent of bringing death, with half of these respondents saying that there was no direct request from the patient.

Furthermore, 54% of the surgeons said yes to the question of whether it was ever morally acceptable to give terminally ill patients drugs to hasten death. The research, which was conducted by the University of Newcastle, New South Wales, also found that surgeons with a religious faith were nearly 10 times less likely to give life shortening treatment.

The study's author, Dr Charles Douglas, said that intention to shorten life was illegal in Australian law and was defined as euthanasia. He said that 5% of surgeons admitted giving a patient a single lethal injection on their clear request.

"The vast majority of patients were only a few hours or days away from death," he said. "The patient is barely conscious and not in a situation to discuss what happens next."

Dr Nitschke, who gained international prominence when the Northern Territory briefly legalised euthanasia four years ago (BMJ 1997;314:994), said the results showed that the law should change, as the rate of apparently involuntary euthanasia seemed to be close to that in the Netherlands, where voluntary euthanasia is legal.

"There's obviously a need for some form of legislative protection," he said.

Some experts in palliative care have called for immunity from prosecution for surgeons who have hastened death so that they could explain their action to researchers and legislators.

"If doctors identified themselves and were as frank as they were in the anonymous survey, then one third of Australia's general surgeons could be up on murder charges," said Adelaide palliative care specialist Dr Roger Hunt.

But the results were attacked by the Australian Medical Association, pro-life groups, and the Anglican archbishop of Sydney.

"If doctors are doing a Harold Shipman out there, we want them to go to prison," said the association's ethics chairman, Trevor Mudge, who rejected the immunity call.

"Some treatments that improve the quality of life will hasten deaththis should be seen not as a bonus but as an unfortunate byproduct."