Update on Barbie’s Bill

I blogged a year ago on Barbie’s Bill which seeks to implement a national register for standardised medical advance directives, and require them to be followed.

The author has an update:

Two Parliamentary select committees in the last 12 months have now backed a petition calling for a more effective system for advance directives, also known as living wills.

Last Thursday the Health Select Committee reported back to Parliament on the petition of Wairarapa-based Louise Duffy on advance directives and says issues with the current system call for urgent reform.

Ms Duffy began her petition after her mother Barbie suffered a major stroke and had her advance directive ignored by doctors when she was in hospital. Barbie’s directive made it clear her wish was to be allowed to pass in such circumstances.

The Health Select Committee’s report says she died 58 days later after being given medical interventions she had asked not to receive. Louise Duffy told MPs if Barbie’s advance directive had been followed, she would have passed, in comfort, within 7-10 days.

The committee has backed Ms Duffy’s proposals that advance directives be included in an accessible, nationwide medical database with a review system to keep directives updated so care teams are confident about following them. It also asked the Health Quality & Safety Commission change its current complex directive template.

Last October, Parliament’s Petitions Committee, also considered Ms Duffy’s petition, and found that training was needed to ensure health professionals understood the legal requirements of advance directives and followed them consistently.

Louise Duffy says now two Parliamentary committees have supported her position, the Government needs to act.

“More than a dozen MPs from all parties have looked at the current system and said that it needs to be improved so that the informed consent of patients is followed.

“I’m grateful they’ve recognised that what happened to my mum, and is happening at times to other New Zealanders, is not right. Mum had a painful, prolonged death despite having an advance directive signed by her GP, her lawyer and her partner, and me as her legal representative telling the doctors to follow her wishes.”

Louise Duffy says she would like a response from Health Minister Simeon Brown that he will implement the recommendations of the two Select Committees – and matching commitments from other parties’ health spokespeople to support it.

“When people have made clear in an advance directive that they want to be allowed to pass in circumstances they choose, such as after a major stroke, their choices about dying well should be the focus.”