Advocates for voluntary assist dying are celebrating today with the passing of the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2017 by the Victorian Legislative Assembly.
The Bill, still to be ratified by the Upper House, aims to provide terminally ill people with choice over the timing and manner of their death and to alleviate any intolerable suffering.
Under the terms of the Bill, at least two specialist clinicians are required to be involved in the process of assessing eligibility for voluntary assisted dying.
However medical practitioners’ choice is protected too – with the opportunity to conscientiously object to involvement in voluntary assisted dying.
In her second reading of the Bill, Victoria’s Minister for Health Jill Hennessy said the voluntary assisted dying framework was ‘safe, compassionate and workable’.
Given the vast majority of people would not be eligible, want or choose to access voluntary assisted dying, she said the bill would not affect the practice of most health practitioners.
Eligibility for voluntary assisted dying requires that the person making the request must have an incurable illness that is advanced and progressive and would be expected to cause death within weeks or months, not exceeding 12 months.
People with mental illness or disability only would not be eligible and people with dementia would be excluded due to their impaired capacity to make an informed decision.
Ms Hennessy said voluntary assisted dying would never be seen as an alternative to or inevitable extension of palliative care.
“Victoria’s end-of-life and palliative care framework commits government to strengthening the palliative care sector and ensuring that all providers across health, community and social care sectors take responsibility for delivering high-quality end-of-life care.
“Voluntary assisted dying is not a substitute for palliative care, and will not preclude access to the high standards of palliative care enjoyed by Victorians.”
Implications for practice