Category: Repression of Conscience

Saskatchewan doctors could face discipline over assisted suicide

Global News

Doug Lett

SASKATOON – Doctors in the province who refuse to cooperate with physician-assisted suicide could face discipline according to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan.

“If a physician feels the directives are wrong, they will still, we would expect, they will still follow those directives,” said Bryan Salte, associate registrar of the college, “in spite of the fact they may not agree with them.”

While the college has not come up with policies around assisted suicide, it is circulating a draft policy on conscientious refusal. It says while doctors can refuse to provide a legally provided service if it violates their freedom of conscience, they do have to make a referral to another health care provider who will do it.

That means a doctor who believes suicide is wrong would still have to refer a patient to a doctor who would help them kill themselves. . . [Full Text]

 

Midwives left with £300,000 legal bill after abortion conscience fight

Catholic Universe

The Catholic midwives who fought against being involved with terminations are facing a six-figure legal bill after the Supreme Court ruled against them.

The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), the anti abortion charity that backed the pair’s battle to be considered conscientious objectors, said it plans to raise funds to help with costs, which are estimated to be as much as £300,000. . . [Full Text]

 

Freedom to Care: The Threat to Conscience Rights in Medicine

The CMDS web page has additional information on this issue on their web site including posters, newsletter inserts, talking points, instructions on how to access the Colleges and answer their surveys, legal opinions, articles and our brief to the OMA.

The deadlines for public input are looming – Ontario is February 20th, Saskatchewan is March 6.

Please help by spreading the word about their video and resources to your contacts. This might spur more people on to getting involved in this issue and expressing their concerns to the colleges.

Let it be known that freedom of conscience still matters

The Catholic Register

Lucas Vivas

When patients are asked what they want in a doctor, a common response is compassion and integrity. Good doctors follow their convictions in trying to do what is right for their patient, and good doctors should not be separated from their consciences and humanity when caring for others.

Unfortunately, however, the integrity of physicians is under attack by the very organization that is supposed to promote good medicine in Ontario.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO), the body that grants licences to physicians to practise in Ontario, plans to drastically restrict the freedom-of-conscience rights of physicians. At present, the CPSO allows doctors to step aside when a patient requests a treatment or procedure that is in conflict with a doctor’s moral or religious beliefs. For example, a Catholic gynecologist could decline to perform abortions. . . [Full text]

Website and petition launched to protect physician freedom of conscience in Canada

“Forcing me to refer for abortion would force me to move provinces or leave the country to practice family medicine.”

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario has no right to force my hand in doing what my medical judgment tells me is wrong. Forcing me to refer for abortion would force me to move provinces or leave the country to practice family medicine. Dr. Marc Gabel, who chairs a working group on this issue, has been reported as saying that “physicians unwilling to provide or facilitate abortion for reasons of conscience should not be family physicians.” But he doesn’t have the right to tell family doctors to change specialties over abortion referral! This is not about access, it is about conformity! And we won’t conform. I invite you to visit the website and join me and sign the petition.

Dr. Martin Owen MD CCFP
Family physician
Member of the Ontario and Alberta Medical Associations