False Claim: Palliative care is dangerous, and Patients are being "hunted" there for MAiD

In a recent webinar, Gordon Friesen, President of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, described palliative care as a place where patients are “hunted” for death. He claimed that palliative care physicians and nurses “coax” patients into MAiD, that palliative care has become a “pipeline” for “medical homicide,” and suggested that vulnerable patients should fear being steered toward death, including through what he calls “stealth euthanasia.”

More troubling still, he argues that this is not the result of individual clinicians acting improperly. He claims that promoting MAiD has become the accepted function of palliative care itself and that healthcare providers now have an obligation and duty to advance MAiD as a matter of policy.

These are not simply criticisms of MAiD, they are attacks on palliative care itself. And this is more evidence that this organization does not deserve a position in any serious end-of-life conversation. Opposing MAiD is one thing. Accusing palliative care clinicians and MAiD providers of preying on vulnerable patients crosses a line from principled disagreement into fearmongering.

False statements like these are irresponsible and dangerous. They risk frightening seriously ill people away from care that could relieve suffering, improve quality of life, and support patients and families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. These statements should be denounced in the strongest way possible.

People should not be afraid of palliative care. Every day, dedicated physicians, nurses, social workers, care aides, and countless others work tirelessly to provide comfort, relieve suffering, and support patients and families at the end of life. Palliative care is not something to fear. It is where some of the most compassionate, patient-centred, and meaningful healthcare in our system takes place.

Read Gordon Friesen’s full statements on our Substack post here.