Episode 28: Voluntary Assisted Dying – The evolving landscape in Australia

Content warning: this episode of The Checkup discusses highly sensitive topics, including death and suicide. If you find this episode triggering, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. The evolving landscape of voluntary assisted dying (VAD) presents significant ethical and legal challenges for healthcare professionals in Australia. Understanding these complexities is crucial for ensuring compliance with current legislation while providing compassionate and effective care. In this episode of The Checkup, BN’s Samantha Pillay and Demi Peters delve into the complex world of VAD with returning guest, Dr Ruthie Jeanneret, a lecturer at The University of Queensland, School of Medicine and TC Beirne School of Law. Ruthie completed her PhD thesis at QUT’s Australian Centre for Health Law Research, which investigated patients' and family caregivers' perspectives and experiences of VAD regulation in Australia and Canada. She has been involved in writing the VAD mandatory training for participating practitioners in Queensland, Western Australia, and Victoria. Together, they discuss the evolving regulatory framework, ethical dilemmas faced by healthcare providers, and practical implications of VAD in clinical practice. Key questions considered in this episode include: What are the current legal requirements for VAD? How can healthcare professionals navigate the ethical tensions surrounding VAD? What are the challenges and opportunities in the evolving VAD landscape? This episode provides valuable insights for healthcare professionals grappling with the complexities of VAD, helping them uphold their legal and ethical responsibilities in this sensitive area of practice. This episode of The Checkup was edited by Audio Advantage. Further reading and references:   The Checkup – Voluntary assisted dying: Implementation, consequences, and obligations of the new laws on healthcare practitioners: Episode 24 How patients and caregivers influence voluntary assisted dying systems: QUT Research Paper Calls to ensure voluntary assisted dying access for rural and regional Australians after Federal Court ruling: ABC News Criminal Code Amendment (Telecommunications Offen