Numbers of Tasmanian GPs trained in VAD not revealed, as concerns raised over doctors’ workloads

Tasmania’s health department has fallen silent on the number of doctors who have completed Voluntary Assisted Dying training, as the state’s peak VAD group raises concerns over doctors’ workloads.

Photo: iStock.

Tasmania’s health department has fallen silent on the number of doctors who have completed Voluntary Assisted Dying training, as the state’s peak VAD group raises concerns over doctors’ workloads.

VAD was legalised in 2021 and has been available since October 2022, and it is understood four Tasmanians have since accessed the service.

But almost three months on from its introduction, Vice President of Dying With Dignity Tasmania, Robyn Maggs, claimed some doctors’ overwhelming workloads were holding them back from completing the online training.

Ms Maggs claimed members of the organisation had been approached by Tasmanians looking to access VAD, but had come across roadblocks in certain regions.

“Our organisation was told at some stage that there would be a trained GP in VAD in each of the regions, but someone was recently told when they wanted to access (VAD) from up north there was nobody in that area,” Ms Maggs said.

Voluntary Assisted Dying was legalised in Tasmania in 2021 but underwent an 18-month implementation period.

And while it was acknowledged that the number of GPs who had undertaken the training would rise over time, Ms Maggs said she felt the introduction of the course – rolled out in August – was too close to the legislation’s October implementation date.

“I don’t think it could have gone any faster – it’s sort of frustrating at the moment because it is not known how many GPs are trained and where they are, but it will be made available,” she said.

She hoped GPs would be incentivised to complete the training, with the course contributing 40 points out of their 50 yearly professional development requirements.

Questions to the Department of Health by the Mercury specifically relating to the number of general practitioners who had completed the training were left unanswered – with a spokesman insisting the numbers were “positive”.

Concerns were raised around the workload of Tasmania’s general practitioners.

“A number of medical practitioners statewide have completed the training and indicated their willingness to participate in the VAD process,” the spokesman said.

“The uptake of training has been positive, but undertaking the training does not oblige a medical practitioner to assist with VAD, and it is their choice on every occasion,”

The spokesman said modelling across the country suggested the number of GPs undertaking the training would increase over time.

Tasmanian Chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Dr Tim Jackson, said it was inevitable there would be an initial delay in undertaking the complex training.

“ … (We’ve) never been busier so I think people are probably delaying doing it because they have no spare time,” Dr Jackson said.

“But the GPs that are willing to take part in this will put up their hand.”