First Victorian voluntary death permit issued

The first permit for voluntary assisted dying has been issued to a terminally ill Victorian and more are expected to follow.

The first permit for voluntary ­assisted dying has been issued to a terminally ill Victorian and more are expected to follow as patients consult their doctors over the new laws.

The Herald Sun has reported at least one permit has been issued, giving a patient access to lethal medication, and more are expected to be granted in coming weeks.

The patient’s identity and circumstances are being protected, and the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services refused to confirm any details about people accessing permits or doctors granting them.

“The Victorian model for the voluntary assisted dying system is working,” a department spokeswoman said.

“We know doctors are talking to patients about voluntary ­assisted dying and carrying out assessments. It is giving people at the end of their life a genuine and compassionate choice over the manner and timing of their death.”

Victoria became the first state to legalise assisted dying for the terminally ill after the laws came into force last month.

The legislation, which has 68 safeguards, is designed to create one of the most conservative models for euthanasia.

Premier Daniel Andrews has estimated about a dozen people would access assisted dying in the first 12 months, with about 100-150 each year after that.

Only patients with the cap­acity to make decisions and who have an illness or condition likely to cause death within six months are eligible to get a permit.

The Victorian model requires two medical professionals to approve a patient’s application, and they will not grant a permit until after a cooling-off period.

The first permit was issued only weeks after Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos warned health professionals they would be able to consult only in person with patients about assisted dying, after warnings doctors could be prosecuted under federal law for discussing permits with patients over the phone.

The controversy was sparked by a law that makes it illegal to incite suicide through a carriage service, but Ms Mikakos said last month the law had not been flagged as a potential issue during parliamentary debate.

A proposal is being considered in Western Australia that would allow patients to access euthanasia medication if they have a disease likely to cause death within 12 months.