Voluntary assisted dying information for medical practitioners

Eligible medical practitioners can provide voluntary assisted dying

A medical practitioner must hold a fellowship with an Australian specialist medical college or be a vocationally registered general practitioner to be eligible to provide voluntary assisted dying.

Medical practitioners who want to provide voluntary assisted dying must complete voluntary assisted dying training before conducting an assessment.

Medical practitioner roles in voluntary assisted dying

Coordinating medical practitioner

A co-ordinating medical practitioner is the medical practitioner who receives and accepts the patient's first request for voluntary assisted dying.

The co-ordinating medical practitioner:

• conducts the first assessment to determine whether the patient meets the eligibility criteria.
• refers the patient to the consulting medical practitioner, if the patient meets the eligibility criteria.

The co-ordinating medical practitioner is responsible for:

• ensuring all forms are completed and provided to the Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board through the Voluntary Assisted Dying Board portal.
• applying for a permit and prescribing the voluntary assisted dying substance.

The coordinating medical practitioner administers the substance if practitioner administration is required.

Consulting medical practitioner

A consulting medical practitioner receives and accepts a referral from the co-ordinating medical practitioner.

The consulting medical practitioner is responsible for:

• conducting a consulting assessment and independently determining whether the person meets the eligibility criteria.
• reporting their assessment to the Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board through the voluntary assisted dying portal.

Other medical practitioners

Other medical practitioners may be asked to conduct additional assessments if there is uncertainty about whether the person meets one of the eligibility criteria. A medical practitioner does not need to complete the voluntary assisted dying training or have a voluntary assisted dying portal account to conduct these assessments.

Medical practitioners who choose not to provide voluntary assisted dying, or who aren't yet eligible to provide voluntary assisted dying, do not have a formal role in providing voluntary assisted dying services. They can provide information or talk about voluntary assisted dying if a patient asks about it.

These medical practitioners are expected to remain involved in providing usual care and support to their patients, regardless of whether the patient is accessing voluntary assisted dying.

Medical practitioners who want to provide voluntary assisted dying services

Medical practitioners need to complete the following steps before providing voluntary assisted dying as either a coordinating or consulting medical practitioner.

These steps can be completed upon receiving a first request from a patient, or a referral for a consulting assessment. Alternatively, completing them before receiving a request will mean medical practitioners are ready to respond when a patient asks about voluntary assisted dying.

Detailed information about the voluntary assisted dying process is available in Guidance for health practitioners or the Quick reference guide for health practitioners.

Medical practitioners must not suggest or initiate conversations about voluntary assisted dying

Medical practitioners cannot initiate a conversation about or suggest voluntary assisted dying to person. A person must raise voluntary assisted dying themselves.

If a person raises voluntary assisted dying with a medical practitioner, the medical practitioner may provide the person with information or discuss voluntary assisted dying with them.

Medical practitioners are required to respond to a first request

When a person makes a clear and unambiguous request for voluntary assisted dying (a first request) a medical practitioner must decide if they are prepared and qualified to accept the request and provide in voluntary assisted dying as the person’s coordinating medical practitioner.

The legislation allows a medical practitioner up to seven days from the date they received a first request to tell the person their decision.

If a medical practitioner refuses a person’s request for voluntary assisted dying, they should specify why. The legislation provides three reasons why a medical practitioner might refuse to accept a person's request:

• the medical practitioner has a conscientious objection to voluntary assisted dying
• the medical practitioner will not be available to perform the duties of coordinating medical practitioner
• the medical practitioner is not eligible under the legislation to provide voluntary assisted dying services.

Refusing a first request

A medical practitioner who refuses a person's request for voluntary assisted dying is not required to refer the person to someone who will assist them, but they should not obstruct or unnecessarily delay the person's access to treatment.

It is best practice to refer the person seeking assistance to the Statewide Care Navigator Service for information and access to a medical practitioner or a health service to assist them accessing voluntary assisted dying. See Statewide Care Navigator Service for contact details.

There is detailed information on responding to a first request and the voluntary assisted dying process in the Guidance for health practitioners.

Conscientious objection

A medical practitioner who conscientiously objects to voluntary assisted dying is not obliged to provide information about voluntary assisted dying or to refer the person to someone who will assist them.

The medical practitioner should inform the person as soon as possible that they will not assist them.

In line with professional standards, a medical practitioner who conscientiously objects to voluntary assisted dying should not obstruct or unnecessarily delay a patient's access to information or referral for voluntary assisted dying services.

Best practice models advise referring people onto the Statewide Care Navigator Service for information and assistance.