Participating in voluntary assisted dying
Requirements and considerations for medical practitioners looking to participate in voluntary assisted dying.
Under the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2021 (the Act), medical practitioners are the only health practitioners able to undertake the assessments required to enable someone to access voluntary assisted dying in South Australia.
Medical practitioners involved in the provision of end of life care may receive requests for information from patients about voluntary assisted dying.
As a doctor, you should consider your level of involvement in voluntary assisted dying and how you may respond to requests about voluntary assisted dying.
It is important to remember that health practitioners must not discuss or suggest voluntary assisted dying to their patients unless the patient has clearly requested information about voluntary assisted dying themselves first.
Support services
Some people may find issues relating to voluntary assisted dying concerning or distressing. If reading the material on this website or thinking about voluntary assisted dying has raised some issues regarding grief and bereavement or personal crisis, the helplines and websites below provide support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- visit the Lifeline website or call 13 11 14
- visit our Bereavement Portal
- visit the SA Health mental health services webpage for a range of services
- call the Mental Health Triage Service on 13 14 65
- call Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800