Victoria’s voluntary euthanasia program is struggling to keep up with surging demand from dying Victorians as the program’s review board seeks changes to rules blocking access. Source: Herald Sun.
More than 830 people signed up to the assisted dying scheme last financial year, but forecasts show that figure is expected to balloon to 1300 by 2028, prompting the Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board to warn that the system is “not sustainable” and big changes are needed.
The board’s deputy chair, Paula Shelton, wrote in its annual report: “Victoria will need to adjust the way it supports the system through which VAD requests proceed”.
Up to 25 per cent of people in the program died before they could pass through the initial steps, according to the report.
“The Board remains concerned about the significant proportion of individuals who request VAD but die before they can access it,” Ms Shelton said.
The report also revealed many people found ineligible to access the program took matters into their own hands.
The report also raised questions about the ban on doctors initiating conversations about assisted dying, along with suggestions that some health practitioners were purposefully trying to ignore requests or obstruct patients from starting the process.
In February, Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas said the Allan Government would make changes to improve access, including removing the bans on doctors staring the conversation and equipping them better for initial conversations.
Since Victoria first brought in the assisted dying laws – the first Australian jurisdiction to do so – 3568 people have applied for access to the program, 2758 permits have been approved but only 1683 used the prescribed substance.
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Victoria’s voluntary assisted dying program struggling to keep up with demand (By Alex White, Herald Sun)
