Queensland euthanasia deaths continue to grow steadily as 1082 people ended their lives with voluntary assisted dying in the state over the past financial year, the legislative review board has reported. Source: The Catholic Leader.
The official figures of the fourth annual report of the Queensland Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board showed fewer people were choosing to self-administer the lethal procedure – 836 deaths were practitioner administered and 246 were self-administered.
Another 805 individuals were undertaking VAD assessment and died without administering the lethal substance.
This was a trend that had continued to decline across all four years since the legislation came into effect.
Euthanasia now accounts for about three per cent of all deaths in the state.
The review board chairwoman, Associate Professor Helen Irving, commended healthcare workers for supporting patients with “kindness, dignity and respect”.
She said the review board welcomed feedback and improvements to “ensure that voluntary assisted dying in Queensland is safe, equitable, accessible and of high quality”.
Queensland’s Review Board is now consulting on whether to change eligibility criteria, specifically citing individuals living with dementia and altering existing prognosis requirements.
The report reveals that cancer remains the primary underlying diagnosis, accounting for 77 per cent of those assessed as eligible.
Respiratory system diseases comprised 9 per cent, neurological disorders accounted for 6 per cent and other conditions represented 7 per cent.
A concern for Catholic health advocates is the persistent gap in palliative care access.
While 76 per cent of individuals receiving a first assessment were currently or previously accessing palliative care services, 503 people (22 per cent) had no recorded engagement with palliative care at their first assessment.
The number of applicants entering the voluntary assisted dying process without prior palliative care grew from 359 in 2023–24 to 503 in 2025–26. This represented a 40 per cent increase in two years.
FULL STORY
Queensland euthanasia deaths reach record high with recommendations to review eligibility for dementia patients (By Joe Higgins, The Catholic Leader)
