There are many ways for the dying to die. As the South Australian Parliament wrestles with voluntary euthanasia (and their allegedly wrestling Premier) perhaps we should also examine options that are presently lawful to save the dying from devotion that they don’t need or want. Voluntary euthanasia was rejected in South Australia by vote of 11 to 9 in the Legislative Council so we need to look at other options.

Other than euthanasia, there are two main escapes for the dying from pointless and invasive medical intervention. The first is the voluntary refusal of medical treatment and the second is the doctor made decisions about withholding futile treatment.

It is this latter phenomenon that I wish to examine. For I believe the doctor-made decisions probably involve a far larger group than either the voluntary-refusal class or, should the law change, the potential voluntary-euthanasia class. For patients and their families, unpractised in death and medicine are ill-equipped to make these decisions and so probably won’t make them. Abdication will be the norm. Read more »...