Report reveals thousands of errors in British Columbia euthanasia cases

A government report received by Canadian Catholic News (CCN) after a freedom of information request reveals thousands of errors in British Columbia euthanasia cases in 2024.

Key Takeaways:

• A report from British Columbia's Ministry of Health shows there were 2,807 euthanasia deaths requiring "follow up" to obtain missing information or clarify existing information.

• Twelve percent of the errors indicated doctors and nurse practitioners "required education... to ensure they understand legal requirements and the professional standards associated with MAID.” 

• In total, there were 4,169 euthanasia deaths in the province in 2024, up from 2,767 deaths in 2023.

The Details:

The report hails from British Columbia's Ministry of Health and reveals that there were 4,169 Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) deaths in the province in 2024 (a separate instance within the report claims 4,190 deaths). This is a staggering jump from the 2,767 deaths reported in 2023.

More than half of those deaths, totaling 2,807, had errors requiring “follow-up." According to the report, "follow-up" means obtaining missing information or clarifying existing information.

More than 12% of the errors, or 353, indicated that the doctors or nurse practitioners involved in the deaths "required education... to ensure they understand legal requirements and the professional standards associated with MAID.” 

Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, told CCN that the numbers are especially troubling because British Columbia leads Canada in the percentage of deaths caused by MAiD.

“It’s all very shocking that you have such a large amount and percentage of errors in British Columbia,” Schadenberg said. “It’s clear there are huge problems.”

Zoom Out:

MAiD errors are not a new problem, especially in British Columbia. Last year, similar findings were reported in the province, as there were "2,833 ‘reporting issues’ and ‘completion errors’ in the paperwork for 2,767 MAiD deaths and for 1,041 cases in which euthanasia was applied for but not completed." 

In 2024, a similar report found that there were also hundreds of euthanasia deaths in Ontario committed in violation of MAiD laws.

Strikingly, though abuses and violations continue to mount, little has been done to stop the ever-increasing influx of MAiD deaths. Euthanasia is now the fourth leading cause of death within the country.

The Bottom Line:

Thousands of errors in implementing euthanasia reveal that laws and safeguards do not guarantee that people will remain safe from abuses.

Amanda Achtman, ethics director of Canadian Physicians for Life, pointedly noted that all MAiD deaths are in 'error,' because euthanasia is not healthcare, "but rather abandonment."

“The staggering level of errors surrounding the practice of euthanasia in Canada betrays a level of indifference and callousness toward Canadian patients at end of life,” Achtman told CCN. “At the same time, every euthanasia death is a medical ‘error’ because it is an aberration of sound medical practice rooted in the Hippocratic oath to ‘do no harm.’”