'I hear those voices in my head still, begging ... to end their life'

A registered nurse has pleaded with the Queensland government to legalise voluntary euthanasia, describing the harrowing moments in which hundreds of patients begged her to help them die.

Barbara Leadbetter, a registered nurse for 38 years, much of it in the aged care industry, said she had watched hundreds of people die.

A Queensland parliamentary inquiry is considering palliative care, aged care and voluntary assisted dying.

“I have never heard a person ask to be kept alive when they’re in severe pain, leaking bodily fluids, agitated, not knowing who their family are,” she said.

“But hundreds of times, I’ve been begged, and those other staff around me, to assist these people to go.

“Why do we need to get to this stage where someone cannot choose when it is time to go?

“A little piece of doctors and nurses’ hearts die when we are asked that question and we can’t assist.

“I hear those voices in my head still, begging ... to end their life.

Barbara Leadbetter (left) was among witnesses to call on the government to legalise voluntary euthanasia at a hearing in Caloundra on Friday, May 3, 2019.Credit: Felicity Caldwell.

“I am begging the Queensland government to please see fit to change the law.”

Ms Leadbetter, speaking at a public hearing in Caloundra as part of a Queensland parliamentary inquiry into aged care, palliative care and voluntary assisted dying, said caring for young people with motor neurone disease had sparked her passion for the issue.

“Hearing people ask, ‘can you just help me die, please, I do not want to end up like that person over there’,” she said.

But Alex Moore, from Cittamani Hospice Service, said very few people had asked her to end their lives and palliative care needed to be properly resourced.

“If we don’t provide them with that support, then the only option then is to ask for their life to be ended, then I think we’re letting down people in our community,” she said.

Ms Moore said if voluntary euthanasia was legalised, it would be important to ensure people still had access to palliative care.

“So they’re not being forced by circumstance into that position and where there’s very, very clear guidelines around it because for me, personally, I think people feel ‘I’m a burden to my family’ or there might be pressure on them to do it,” she said.

“I see the value that people have from caring for a loved one at home – it’s a very positive experience for most people.”

Ms Leadbetter agreed it was also important for people to have access to good palliative care, arguing the sector was under-resourced and many patients ended up in nursing homes.

Brian Smith spoke about watching family members die.

“When you’re writhing in agony, screaming in pain, there is only one way, and that’s when they inject you to unconsciousness,” he said.

But Ron Wright told the public hearing he believed people did not have the right to take their own life or make an arrangement for others to assist them.

“At this point, you could question me and say I’m talking irrationally,” he said.

“Voluntary assisted dying should not be an issue for us as it isn’t an option we have a right to mess with.”

Mr Wright was also concerned about young people “who had not reached mature adult thinking” being able to access voluntary euthanasia.

But Neil Jackson, who was emotional as he spoke about losing his wife to motor neurone disease, said that was “crap”.

“Would you like to at the end of the day know that you’re going to choke on your own saliva and there’s nothing you can do about it?” he said.

“I looked after my wife until the very end. All she needed was to have the key to her own salvation.”

The Health, Communities, Disability Services and Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Committee is due to report on the inquiry by November 30.