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Voluntary Assisted Dying

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Home Our Work Health system integration and reform translation Voluntary Assisted Dying

Victoria is the first state in Australia to pass voluntary assisted dying laws. The Voluntary Assisted Dying Act (2017) provides a safe legal framework for people who are suffering and dying to choose the manner and timing of their death.

Voluntary assisted dying means administering a medication for the purpose of causing death in accordance with the steps and process set out in law.

The law came into effect on 19 June 2019. Now people who meet the set of strict eligibility criteria are able to request access to voluntary assisted dying. All people at the end of life will be supported to receive access to appropriate end of life care options.
Key resources are available on the Department of Health and Human Services website.

A health practitioner may choose whether or not they participate in voluntary assisted dying. The Victorian Primary Health Networks is supporting a range of initiatives to enhance health practitioner capacity with regard to voluntary assisted dying.

The key activities include the following:

  • To provide opportunities for medical practitioners who have completed the online voluntary assisted dying to participate in clinical networking and support.
  • To support the provision of information about aspects of the legislation and guidance for general practitioners
  • To develop evidence-based information for general practitioners through HealthPathways

Voluntary Assisted Dying Community of Practice for Medical Practitioners

Communities of Practice are “a group of people who share a concern, set of problems or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interacting on an ongoing basis” (Wenger, 2011).

All medical practitioners that have completed the online training are invited to participate in the community of practice. The community of practice is supported through a moderated online platform, with links to clinicians and the statewide services at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and The Alfred. The community of practice is convened by Western Victoria PHN.

Medical practitioners that have completed the training are able to email vadcommunity@westvicphn.com.au to indicate interest in participating in the community of practice.

General information regarding voluntary assisted dying

RACGP webinar – Voluntary Assisted Dying and the General Practitioner

This webinar looks at aspects of the legislation and provides guidance for GPs including:

  • information on the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017
  • the major features of the legislation and eligibility criteria
  • options for patients in Victoria with an incurable, advanced and progressive illness
  • GPs’ roles in voluntary assisted dying

Voluntary Assisted Dying HealthPathways

General practitioners are able to access clinical and referral pathways and education resources through the HealthPathways sites.

Support services

Some people may find issues relating to end of life care upsetting.

If reading the material on this site or thinking about end of life care has raised some issues regarding grief and bereavement or personal crisis, the helplines below provide telephone support and counselling 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Some services may also provide online assistance (depending on the service).

Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement
1800 642 066

Lifeline
13 11 14

Copyright 2022 Victorian and Tasmanian PHN Alliance
  • About us
    • About the Alliance
    • Collaboration
    • Leadership
    • PHN Publications
    • Thought Leadership
  • Our Work
    • Best practice, prevention, management and support
      • Accelerated uptake of Hepatitis C medicines
      • Carer Awareness in General Practice
      • Community led cancer screening
      • GP Respiratory Clinics
      • Infection Prevention Helpline
      • Lymphoedema Primary Care Capacity Building
      • Optimal Care Pathways
        • Optimal Care Pathways – Oesophagogastric Cancer OCP
        • Optimal Care Pathways – Prostate Cancer
      • Place-based Suicide Prevention
      • Priority Primary Care Centres
      • Statewide Paediatric HealthPathways Project
      • Victorian HIV and Hepatitis Integrated Training and Learning (VHHITAL)
        • VHHITAL – Education and events copy pack
    • Connecting health with other sectors
      • Doctors in Secondary Schools
        • Apply to Doctors in Secondary Schools: one day out of your everyday
      • Enhancing Mental Health Support in Secondary Schools
    • Health system integration and reform translation
      • Alcohol and other Drug Integration
      • Care Pathways and Referral
        • COVID-19 care pathways
      • Enhancing Carers Supports Within Primary Health Care
      • Mental Health Integration
      • My Health Record Expansion
      • PIP QI Incentive partnership
      • Population Health Planning
      • SafeScript
      • State Emergency and Support Recovery
      • Statewide Specialist Clinic Referral Criteria
        • Statewide Specialist Clinic Referral Criteria – Communications Toolkit
      • The National Disability Insurance Scheme in Victoria and Tasmania
      • Voluntary Assisted Dying
  • News and Education
    • Education and Calendars
    • News
    • Online Learning
  • SafeScript Training
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