The current legislation on the end of life, which does not authorize euthanasia or assisted suicide, does not respond to all situations, estimated Wednesday March 29 of the deputies responsible for evaluating it while the executive considers a change of law.
“
The current legislative framework does not provide answers to all end-of-life situations
”, considers the report drawn up by deputies from all sides.
They were responsible for evaluating the Claeys-Leonetti law of 2016, which sets the current legislation on the end of life, a theme on which President Emmanuel Macron relaunched the debate a few months ago.
A “
citizen convention
”, made up of French people drawn by lot, must say at the end of the weekend whether it is desirable to change the law.
But its work does not commit the government and is independent of those presented this Wednesday by parliamentarians.
A “reluctance” among some caregivers
The latter worked under the aegis of MP Olivier Falorni (Modem), a declared supporter of making “
active assistance in dying
” possible.
The choice of this personality had provoked criticism from opponents of the legalization of euthanasia.
The parliamentary mission certainly refrains from commenting on the subject, stressing that it was not within its scope, and also notes that most patients do not ask to die if their care is “adequate
”
.
But his report is critical of the implementation of provisions at the heart of the 2016 law, first and foremost the right to set up "
deep and continuous sedation until death
" for patients near death and in intolerable pain.
This measure, intended to avoid therapeutic relentlessness, seems to be very little put into practice, note the deputies, who note a “
reluctance
” among certain caregivers.
The deputies report a feeling of “
hypocrisy
” on the ground in the face of this measure, which is not officially akin to “
active assistance in dying
” but amounts to plunging the patient into unconsciousness until death , while stopping his food and hydration.
“
In practice, confusion seems to persist around the meaning of (sedation) and the intention behind it
,” say the deputies.
The report also regrets insufficient access to palliative care, as well as far too rare recourse to “
advance directives
” which allow everyone to set down their wishes in writing in terms of maintaining or interrupting care.