Following the tabling of the Five Year Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) Review report in Victoria’s Parliament in February, and with Labor supporting its recommendations, Dying With Dignity Victoria (DWDV) is calling on the federal government to address four key equity of access problems.
At its 2025 Federal Election platform launch on March 3, DWDV said too many people are not having their needs met.
Dr Nick Carr, spokesperson for DWDV, said that while it is “fantastic that most Australians can access VAD”, with the exception of the Northern Territory, the report highlighted where the system needs federal support, particularly for regional and remote areas.
“Too many Australians are unable to access Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) and are finding their application experience distressing and slow,” Carr said.
It lists four federal actions which would alleviate the most significant barriers.
Amending the Commonwealth Criminal Code Act sections 474.29A and 474.29B, which currently prevent people who are too ill or too remote travel, from having Telehealth consultations.
WA Independent MP Kate Chaney put up a Private Member’s Bill in 2023 to fix this, but the government failed to act despite more than 70% of people nationwide supporting VAD as a compassionate human right.
DWDV said end-of-life services rely on a dedicated, but overstretched, workforce with 44% of palliative care doctors and nurses reporting burn out.
As with many other services, Medicare rebates are not keeping up with costs and greater workforce training investment is needed.
A 2017 Productivity Commission report found less than 10% of the 70% who say they want to die at home are able to do so.
A KPMG report to Treasury in May 2020 said there would be a significant cost savings to the hospital system and Emergency Department when people are supported to die at home.
Dying With Dignity agrees that more investment is needed in home-based palliative care, expanding regional and rural services and enacting Palliative Care Australia’s 11-point plan to address medication shortages.
A recent study by Queensland University of Technology found only 33% knew VAD was a legal end-of-life option for the terminally ill.
Publicly-funded education campaigns are essential so all Australians are aware of their end-of-life options, with access to a reliable source of verified information when making medical decisions.
Monitoring accessibility will ensure governments have accurate information to guide improvement programs.
With an election on the horizon, DWDV President Jane Morris implored Labor to remove these four Commonwealth-based impediments to not only ensure eligible applicants had equity of access to VAD but also “to look after those who look after us” and address Medicare reform and health workforce challenges.