After one of his patients had his euthanasia assessment conducted outside a doughnut shop, an Ontario doctor has been placed under supervision by the province’s physicians’ regulator due to repeated failures to adhere to protocols and procedures.
Dr James MacLean was the subject of two complaints relating to two cases involving Canada’s euthanasia and assisted suicide regime, known as Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD).
After the cases, one of which included conducting an assessment outside the cafe and doughnut shop Tim Hortons, his general conduct was reviewed by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, and it was determined that MacLean displayed a lack of judgment in his decisions, dealt with patients in a way that “raised a risk of perceived coercion”, and kept inadequate records.
The College found that MacLean’s conduct “exposes or is likely to expose patients to harm or injury in five out of twenty [patient] charts reviewed”.
Doctor assessed man with suicidal ideation for euthanasia outside a Tim Hortons cafe
The 45-year-old Thomas Dillon, who had Crohn’s disease, in addition to a history of alcohol abuse, depression and suicidal ideation, met with MacLean more than once outside the doughnut shop for his euthanasia eligibility assessments.
MacLean conducted Dillon’s euthanasia eligibility assessment outside of a Tim Hortons cafe, where the doctor found him to be eligible, after which they exchanged numerous text messages to plan the end of his life.
Two days later, they met again at the cafe, from where the doctor then drove the patient to the location where he would end his life. MacLean then ended Dillon’s life by euthanasia in an industrial unit where cadavers are prepared for transport to funeral homes.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario found that MacLean had crossed professional boundaries with his casual approach to ending Dillon’s life, and found that the venue for the eligibility assessment was inappropriate.
Family of deceased in disbelief that MacLean is still allowed to practise
It has been reported that Dillon’s family agree with several of the College’s findings; however, they argue that the regulator is not doing enough to prevent further abuses from occurring.
“I am horrified that the college has not stopped him from practising”, Dillon’s aunt, Megan Nichols, said. “What does it take?”
The College gave MacLean a caution, and agreed to several conditions relating to his practise, including a minimum six-month clinical supervision and unannounced inspections of his practice locations and patient records.
None of these concerns were escalated to the Ontario Physicians and Surgeons Discipline Tribunal, where allegations of professional misconduct or incompetence are adjudicated.
Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “This is yet another sad case suggestive of the kind of thing that could happen in the UK if assisted dying is made legal here”.
“Safeguards on paper do not mean much if doctors simply ignore them, and it seems that Dr MacLean has had little more than a slap on the wrist for his gross conduct. Of course, even if Dr MacLean had acted in accordance with procedure, his actions would still have been reprehensible”.
“The state and medical professionals should not be helping people end their own lives. It radically distorts the relationship between doctor and patient and assumes that some lives are not worth living”.
