Two Victorians a week accessing voluntary euthanasia
Since Victoria introduced assisted dying laws in June last year, 124 Victorians — more than two a week — have died from taking voluntary assisted dying medication. Now, the review board has called for the need for face-to-face consultations to be scrapped.
Victoria
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More than two Victorians a week are using the state’s voluntary euthanasia laws, a new report has found.
Since the assisted dying laws were introduced in June last year, 124 Victorians have died as a result of taking, or being administered, the voluntary assisted dying medication.
And one quarter of all applicants have progressed between their first and last request in just 11 days.
It comes as the Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board has called for the legal requirement for face-to-face consultations to be scrapped.
Providing patients with information about voluntary assisted dying over the telephone, via email or through the use of telehealth could be a breach of current Commonwealth law.
But in a report tabled on Tuesday former Victorian Supreme Court justice Betty King, who now chairs the Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board, said the law should be changed.
“This board is repeating its call for the Commonwealth to reconsider making an exemption from the Criminal Code to allow Victorians, especially those in regional Victoria, to be able to have important conversations about voluntary assisted dying over the phone or via teleconference,” she said.
To access voluntary euthanasia applicants must have an incurable and advanced disease, illness or medical condition that is expected to cause death.
In the past six months more than 200 people have been assessed to access the assisted dying laws, with an average age of 71.
However applicants ranged in age from 32 to 100.
Data found 44 per cent of applicants were female, 55 per cent were male and one per cent selected “self-described”.
Two thirds of applicants lived in metropolitan Melbourne, while 68 per cent of applicants were born in Australia.
Only nine applicants required an interpreter to attend appointments.
Loss of autonomy was frequently cited by applicants as a reason for requesting voluntary assisted dying.
Other reasons included being less able to engage in activities that make life enjoyable, losing control of body functions, and loss of dignity.
The report said medical practitioners were at risk of being prosecuted if they allowed virtual meetings to take place.
“The board has received anecdotal feedback about challenges faced by some applicants and families in completing face-to-face assessments while COVID-19 measures have been in place,” it said.
“The board remains very concerned about the impact the criminal code may have on Victorians, particularly in rural and remote regions, who are unable to use telehealth technology to complete appointments.”
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