Victoria's voluntary assisted dying law will soon come into effect; a remaining challenge is effective clinical implementation
The Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017 (Vic) (VAD Act) will become operational on 19 June 2019. A designated 18‐month implementation period has seen an Implementation Taskforce appointed, and work is underway on projects including developing clinical guidance, models of care, medication protocols and training for doctors participating in voluntary assisted dying (VAD).1 While some have written on the scope of, and reaction to, the VAD legislation,2,3,4 there has been very little commentary on its implementation. Yet, important choices must be made about translating these laws into clinical practice. These choices have major implications for doctors and other health professionals (including those who choose not to facilitate VAD), patients, hospitals and other health providers. This article considers some key challenges in implementing Victoria's VAD legislation.
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- 1. Victorian Government Department of Health and Human Services. Implementation Taskforce. https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/hospitals-and-health-services/patient-care/end-of-life-care/voluntary-assisted-dying/vad-implementation-taskforce (viewed Sept 2018).
- 2. Yoong J, Franco M, William L, Poon P. Perspectives of cancer treatment providers regarding voluntary assisted dying in Victoria. Intern Med J 2018; 48: 770–773.
- 3. Beardsley C, Brown K, Sandroussi C. Euthanasia and surgeons: An overview of the Victorian Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017 and its relevance to surgical practice in Australia. ANZ J Surg 2018; 88: 956–958.
- 4. Karapetis CS, Stein B, Koczwara B, et al. Medical Oncology Group of Australia position statement and membership survey on voluntary assisted dying. Intern Med J 2018; 48: 774–779.
- 5. Premier Daniel Andrews. Voluntary assisted dying model established ahead of vote in Parliament [media release]. https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/voluntary-assisted-dying-model-established-ahead-of-vote-in-parliament/ (viewed Sept 2018).
- 6. White BP, Willmott L, Cartwright C, et al. Comparing doctors’ legal compliance across three Australian states for decisions whether to withhold or withdraw life‐sustaining medical treatment: does different law lead to different decisions? BMC Palliat Care 2017; 16: 63.
- 7. Van Wesemael Y, Cohen J, Onwuteaka‐Philipsen BD, et al. Establishing specialized health services for professional consultation in euthanasia: experiences in the Netherlands and Belgium. BMC Health Serv Res 2009; 9: 220.
- 8. Australian Medical Association. AMA Code of Ethics 2004; editorially revised 2006; revised 2016: para 2.1.13. https://ama.com.au/system/tdf/documents/AMA%20Code%20of%20Ethics%202004.%20Editorially%20Revised%202006.%20Revised%202016.pdf?file=1&type=node&id=46014 (viewed Sept 2018).
- 9. Downie J. Medical assistance in dying: lessons for Australia from Canada. QUT Law Review 2016; 17: 127–146.
Ben White and Lindy Willmott have been engaged by the Victorian Government to design and provide the legislatively mandated training for doctors involved in voluntary assisted dying. Lindy Willmott is also a member of the board of Palliative Care Australia, but this article only represents her views.