The Medical Association says it will continue to oppose euthanasia and doctor-assisted suicide despite its British counterpart adopting a more neutral stance.
The British Medical Association voted last month to neither support nor oppose campaigns for assisted dying, saying it's primarily a matter for society and parliament to determine.
The NZMA board looked at its policy in light of the British move, but has decided to stick to its position that euthanasia is unethical.
The policy states: "The NZMA is opposed to both the concept and practice of euthanasia and doctor-assisted suicide. Euthanasia, that is the act of deliberately ending the life of a patient, even at the patient's request or at the request of close relatives, is unethical."
NZMA chairman Ross Boswell says this applies even when deliberately ending a patient's life is at their own, or their relatives', request.
He says the association's policy concurs with that of the World Medical Association.
