Alberta MAID limits would lead to suffering, signal lack of trust: practitioners

Medical tools are pictured in an exam room at a health clinic in Calgary, Friday, July 14, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Twenty-five Edmonton and area medical professionals say they’re concerned new Alberta limits on medical assistance in dying would cause needless suffering and put clinicians in “ethically untenable” positions.

The doctors, psychiatrists and others that work in the medical assistance in dying program, better known as MAID, have signed a statement saying they strongly oppose the restrictions announced last week.

The province tabled legislation that, if passed, would make MAID only available to those likely to die within 12 months and prohibit the display of MAID information in health-care settings.

The restricted eligibility would be similar to how the program began in 2016, before a Quebec court ruling led Ottawa to make it available to those who aren’t likely to die in the foreseeable future but suffer intolerably.

Dr. Alexandra McPherson says Alberta changes mean a significant number of people would no longer be eligible, including those experiencing prolonged organ failure.

McPherson, who has been providing MAID assessments and services since the program began, says Alberta’s bill is also “chilling,” as it would restrict what clinicians say to patients.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 27, 2026.

Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press