Canada’s legalisation of euthanasia should be a warning sign for other countries as people are offered help to die if they do not have adequate access to social supports, MPs in the House of Commons have been told.

The country has a “very aggressive medical delivery system of euthanasia”, a parliamentary committee heard as it listened to experts on the issue.

In what was described as a “very disturbing societal norm”, Dr Scott Kim, told MPs: “The law itself says this doesn’t have to be last resort, which means that a person could genuinely lack access to disability services, to outpatient psychiatric treatment, which is common in Canada. Those people would still qualify.”

Canadian Professor Trudo Lemmens said he had been a supporter of initial legislation but it has become a “form of harm reduction”.

“I would say Canada is a warning sign for countries that contemplate legalising medical assistance in dying or assisted suicide and euthanasia.”