Euthanasia advocate Philip Nitschke suspended by the Medical Board of Australia

Updated

Euthanasia advocate Philip Nitschke has been suspended by the Medical Board of Australia, which says he "presents a serious risk to public health and safety".

The board last night voted to use emergency powers to immediately suspend Dr Nitschke, after he admitted to supporting 45-year-old Perth man Nigel Brayley in his decision to commit suicide despite knowing he was not terminally ill.

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, which provides support to the Medical Board of Australia, launched an investigation into Dr Nitschke earlier this month following reporting by the ABC.

Mental health groups Beyond Blue and the Black Dog Institute believe Dr Nitschke had an obligation to recommended psychiatric help to Mr Brayley, but Dr Nitschke said it was not his role to intervene.

Dr Nitschke, who described the suspension as a "politically motivated deregistration", told AM it was "clearly stupid" to claim he is a risk to public safety.

"That's about the most ludicrous thing they've said, that ... telling me I'm no longer a practising doctor is going to somehow or other change things," he said.

"I mean, we've still got workshops, we've got heavily booked workshops all over Australia now. People will be coming in their hundreds - I would estimate thousands now - wanting to know how they can end their lives should they get to that point.

"Whether they remove my medical licence or not is not likely to change that one bit, and the idea there'll be more people somehow or other being influenced to end their lives I think is quite stupid."

Mr Brayley, who was not an obvious euthanasia candidate, died in May this year after taking the euthanasia drug Nembutal, which he illegally imported.

Mr Brayley had sent Dr Nitschke emails in which he stated he was not terminally ill, but was "suffering".

His friends Kerry and Trish O'Neil could see Mr Brayley's life spiralling out of control after the death of his wife, Lina, who died at a local quarry in 2011 in what was at first thought to be an accident.

The case was upgraded to a murder inquiry, and while police never named Mr Brayley as a suspect, he told the O'Neils the investigation and the loss of his job had made him depressed.

People seeking support and information about suicide can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Topics: euthanasia, courts-and-trials, law-crime-and-justice, doctors-and-medical-professionals, health, perth-6000, wa, australia

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