❓ The Minister for Health provides an update on the implementation of the Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) laws in Western Australia, confirming readiness for commencement on 1 July and outlining key preparations including training, care navigators, and the establishment of the VAD Board.
AnsweredQoN 161Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
VOLUNTARY ASSISTED DYING
161. Mr C.J. TALLENTIRE to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to treating those Western Australians with a terminal
or life-limiting illness with compassion and
dignity by allowing end-of-life choices. Can the minister update the house on the implementation of this government's historic voluntary assisted
dying laws?
161. Mr C.J. TALLENTIRE to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to treating those Western Australians with a terminal
or life-limiting illness with compassion and
dignity by allowing end-of-life choices. Can the minister update the house on the implementation of this government's historic voluntary assisted
dying laws?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question;
it is very important one. The member will recall that in December 2019 this
Parliament passed historic legislation to make voluntary assisted dying a reality
in Western Australia. It was important
legislation, and it was at that time that the government committed to working
tirelessly over the next 18 months to
make sure we could have everything in place to ensure that this legislation was
ready to be applied from 1 July. I am
very proud to say that preparations for the implementation of voluntary
assisted dying in Western Australia is
ready to start from 1 July this year, ensuring that the process is safe,
appropriate and follows the law.
As I have mentioned before, member, between 22 and 23 May,
nearly 200 people attended in person or online, as part of an implementation
conference involving clinicians, health professionals and policy advisers with
regard to information about their roles, rights and responsibilities, in
preparation for the commencement of VAD. The care navigators and clinical nurse
consultant manager have now commenced their roles as part of WA's VAD
statewide care navigator service. The statewide care navigator service is
available to support health professionals with their preparations from 1 July,
but will not be able to provide information or provide answers to the public or
private support to members of the public until 1 July. These health
professionals will be able to preregister for training programs to make sure
that they are ready to go.
Members of the inaugural Voluntary
Assisted Dying Board have also been announced. The five-member board will
commence from 1 July and will have a mostly advisory and monitoring function.
The board will be chaired by GP and former Australian Medical Association WA
president Dr Scott Blackwell. Dr Scott Blackwell has been working in palliative and aged care for many
years. He is an expert and he chairs the implementation leadership team on voluntary assisted dying. Other members of the panel include Hon Colin Holt
as deputy chairperson, a recently retired member from the Legislative Council,
he was also deputy chair of the Joint Select Committee into End of Life
Choices; Dr Robert Edis, who is a consultant neurologist with a particular
interest in motor neurone disease and is vice president of the Motor Neurone
Disease Association of WA; Maria Osman is senior consultant and adviser,
specialising in human rights, diversity and gender matters; and Ms Linda
Savage, former director of the Social Security Appeals Tribunal and a legal
member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
Medical practitioners and nurse
practitioners seeking to participate in voluntary assisted dying training can
now preregister to check their eligibility for access to approved training,
which will available to eligible practitioners from early June. A lot of work
has gone into making sure that we are ready to go from 1 July.
I take the opportunity to
acknowledge Hon Dr Sally Talbot, who has been the deputy chair of the
implementation leadership task force, for the work that she has done with Dr Scott
Blackwell to make sure that we are ready to go. As a final note, I acknowledge the work done by everyone on this
legislation to make sure that it is ready to go; a nd, of course, the
member for Morley who was chairperson of the Joint Select Committee into End of
Life Choices. I congratulate all who have been involved in this process.
it is very important one. The member will recall that in December 2019 this
Parliament passed historic legislation to make voluntary assisted dying a reality
in Western Australia. It was important
legislation, and it was at that time that the government committed to working
tirelessly over the next 18 months to
make sure we could have everything in place to ensure that this legislation was
ready to be applied from 1 July. I am
very proud to say that preparations for the implementation of voluntary
assisted dying in Western Australia is
ready to start from 1 July this year, ensuring that the process is safe,
appropriate and follows the law.
As I have mentioned before, member, between 22 and 23 May,
nearly 200 people attended in person or online, as part of an implementation
conference involving clinicians, health professionals and policy advisers with
regard to information about their roles, rights and responsibilities, in
preparation for the commencement of VAD. The care navigators and clinical nurse
consultant manager have now commenced their roles as part of WA's VAD
statewide care navigator service. The statewide care navigator service is
available to support health professionals with their preparations from 1 July,
but will not be able to provide information or provide answers to the public or
private support to members of the public until 1 July. These health
professionals will be able to preregister for training programs to make sure
that they are ready to go.
Members of the inaugural Voluntary
Assisted Dying Board have also been announced. The five-member board will
commence from 1 July and will have a mostly advisory and monitoring function.
The board will be chaired by GP and former Australian Medical Association WA
president Dr Scott Blackwell. Dr Scott Blackwell has been working in palliative and aged care for many
years. He is an expert and he chairs the implementation leadership team on voluntary assisted dying. Other members of the panel include Hon Colin Holt
as deputy chairperson, a recently retired member from the Legislative Council,
he was also deputy chair of the Joint Select Committee into End of Life
Choices; Dr Robert Edis, who is a consultant neurologist with a particular
interest in motor neurone disease and is vice president of the Motor Neurone
Disease Association of WA; Maria Osman is senior consultant and adviser,
specialising in human rights, diversity and gender matters; and Ms Linda
Savage, former director of the Social Security Appeals Tribunal and a legal
member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
Medical practitioners and nurse
practitioners seeking to participate in voluntary assisted dying training can
now preregister to check their eligibility for access to approved training,
which will available to eligible practitioners from early June. A lot of work
has gone into making sure that we are ready to go from 1 July.
I take the opportunity to
acknowledge Hon Dr Sally Talbot, who has been the deputy chair of the
implementation leadership task force, for the work that she has done with Dr Scott
Blackwell to make sure that we are ready to go. As a final note, I acknowledge the work done by everyone on this
legislation to make sure that it is ready to go; a nd, of course, the
member for Morley who was chairperson of the Joint Select Committee into End of
Life Choices. I congratulate all who have been involved in this process.
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