Nova Scotia Health Authority reveals assisted-dying numbers

The Nova Scotia Health Authority has revealed that 16 Nova Scotians have chosen to receive a doctor's help to end their lives, information it had previously kept secret.

The numbers are current up to Oct. 31, 2016, and were released Wednesday by the authority. 

"The decision to choose medical assistance in dying is a private and personal decision for patients and families. And to protect the confidentiality we chose not to give the information out," said Sandra James, the director of health services for the authority. 

"We're comfortable doing it now because it's a number that allows us to ensure we can maintain that confidentiality."

Sheilia Sperry with the Nova Scotia chapter of Dying with Dignity Canada said she was surprised by the numbers.  

"That's lower than I would have expected. I was expecting it would be someplace between 20 and 25," she said.

'Dramatic decision'

Sperry said she thinks the numbers could allay fears of some critics who predicted a rush of demand for physician-assisted suicide.

"They don't realize how much time and how much thought and how much discussion goes into making that kind of dramatic decision with your life," she said.

The health authority didn't provide any information about the condition of the patients or where in the province the assisted deaths took place, and said it has no plans to do so. The authority will share updated figures regularly in the future.

Canada's Parliament passed the government's assisted-dying legislation in June.

New Brunswick data revealed this week

New Brunswick's English health authority, Horizon Health Network, has approved nine doctor-assisted dying cases.

That number was secret until Monday, but was revealed through a freedom of information request.  

New Brunswick's French health authority, Vitalité Health Network, said it has not rejected or approved any requests for doctor-assisted death.