VAD Qld: Experts warn adequate palliative care needed

Experts have issued an impassioned plea for a critical factor not to be forgotten when discussing voluntary assisted dying in Queensland. VOTE IN OUR POLL

Palliative care experts have issued an impassioned plea for end-of-life care not to be forgotten when discussing voluntary assisted dying in Queensland, amid renewed calls for the State Government to urgently plug a massive funding shortfall.

AMAQ president Chris Perry yesterday insisted patients must have a have a choice between a well-funded palliative care model and a VAD scheme.

“If people are keen for choice, the choice for the patient should be between a well-funded caring palliative care model, and ultimately a quicker and cheaper VAD model, and not have VAD thrust upon these vulnerable people because they have no other way … pain and unbearable suffering,” he said during a parliamentary committee hearing into VAD.

In an extraordinary concession, Health and Environment Committee chair Aaron Harper asked health experts whether they would support VAD if in a “utopian world” there were adequate palliative care services in Queensland.

“If palliative care was sufficient, would that mean that you would support VAD as drafted in the Bill?” Mr Harper asked Australian and New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine’s Professor Leeroy William, Professor Phillip Good and Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists’ Kym Boon.

“Let’s say in a utopian world we have excellent palliative care no matter where you lived, what’s your views on that?”

Dr Boon said even the best palliative care couldn’t control all symptoms.

“And in situations like that VAD is not unreasonable request but it has to be made in the setting of people being … all options of all treatment, it’s not a treatment in itself,” she said.

Dr Perry said after talking to doctors across the state, he believed about 50 per cent would be in favour of VAD.

Palliative Care Queensland chief executive officer Shyla Mills said the body firmly believed VAD was not part of palliative care practice.

“We urge you not to forget the elephant in the room, don’t forget that this VAD bill is such a small part of a much, much bigger system of end of life care of which palliative care plays a crucial role, so we say please don’t forget palliative care in the bigger picture,” she said.