Thank you, Dr. Forbes, and thank you, committee members.
Ensuring effective patient access across Canada will depend in part on how this issue is addressed. I would like to point out that a key focus of the CMA's work has been to ensure that both physicians and the patients for whom we care are represented in the overarching regulatory and legislative response to the Carter decision. As it remains in society, assisted dying is a difficult and controversial issue for the medical profession. It must be recognized that this represents no less than a sea change for physicians in Canada. As the national organization representing physicians, I cannot underscore enough the significance and the importance of this change.
As we have mentioned, the CMA has extensively consulted physicians before and since the Carter decision. Our surveys and consultations indicate that approximately 30% of physicians indicate that they would provide assistance in dying. It's important to note that for the majority of physicians who will choose not to provide assistance in dying directly, providing a patient with a referral will not be an issue for them. They will not consider it to be a violation of their conscience or of their moral code.
For other physicians, however, making a referral for assisted dying would be categorically, morally unacceptable. For these physicians, it implies forced participation procedurally that may be connected to, or make them complicit in, what they deem to be a morally abhorrent act. In other words, being asked to make a referral for assisted dying respects the conscience of some physicians, but not of others.
Part of the obligation of government and stakeholders is to ensure effective patient access by putting in place sufficient resources and systems. The CMA's framework accounts for differences of conscience by recommending the creation of resources in order to facilitate that access. It is critical that we provide clarity for physicians and their patients and that we develop a consistent approach across all jurisdictions.
The CMA is keenly aware of the risk if we don't—that a patchwork of differing and potentially conflicting approaches may easily emerge. That would not serve anyone well, doctors or patients. Today I can inform you confidently, and with gravity, that we are facing this risk. A number of provincial regulatory bodies have recently released draft or final guidelines on this issue. They differ either slightly or substantively on a number of important points. This is no longer a theoretical issue. We are indeed faced with a patchwork of approaches.
We look to Parliament for leadership to support the development of a pan-Canadian, national approach. The CMA's framework provides critical guidance for decision-makers in this respect. I must reiterate that in developing these recommendations, the CMA has given the issue our most careful and thoughtful deliberations, perhaps in the history of our organization, through the past two years. We've consulted at every step along the way with our membership, with the public, and with other health care stakeholders. Our recommendations are the result of this significant consultation in addition to our expert review of existing international frameworks.
I'm pleased to tell you that Canada's doctors stand ready to work with you to make sure that we are ready to respond in four months from now. As a country, we do not currently have a system in place to support us, but I'm pleased to tell you that the CMA's framework stands ready for your adoption.
Dr. Forbes and I would welcome any questions or comments you might have.
Thank you.