EUTHANASIA AND ASSISTED DYING

Last month, I made the case for our State Government to introduce voluntary assisted dying laws (VAD) for terminally ill patients.

In June, Victoria introduced VAD so I will take a look at what their system looks like.

Who can access VAD?

Only people who experience intolerable suffering and have a terminal and advanced illness. There are strict criteria that must be met.

Importantly in my view, mental illness alone is not sufficient to access VAD in Victoria. This is an essential safeguard to avoid what I consider to be a most tragic recent VAD case in Holland. A 17–year–old girl who was suffering from what she described as intolerable depression sought to invoke the Dutch equivalent of VAD.

How would VAD work?

The essentials:

■ Must be over 18 and have decision–making capacity.

■ Only the patient can initiate discussions with their doctor, not a family member.

■ An assessment by a suitably trained doctor who assesses eligibility according to the strict criteria set out in the legislation.

■ Then a second doctor repeats the process, so that two doctors must be satisfied it is an informed and voluntary decision.

■ The patient then signs a written declaration to be witnessed by two independent people who verify it is an informed and voluntary decision.

■ The lethal medication must be administered by the patient unless that person is physically incapable of doing so.

■ A VAD Review Board will oversee all activities.

■ Doctors can abstain. Understandably, this is a very emotive topic with many strongly held (and opposing) views.

In my view, Gandhi was right when he said, “the true measure of a civilised society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members”.

For those opposed to VAD, tread your own path. But please afford those terminally ill amongst us the right to choose a dignified transition.

I sense my late grandmother, who died a miserable slow death to cancer, is cheering me on right now.