Voluntary Assisted Dying Services (Voluntary Assisted Dying Board Annual Report 2022-23)
The Voluntary Assisted Dying pathway in South Australia is supported by a range of dedicated individuals and teams working across Local Health Networks, in private practises, and in the Department for Health and Wellbeing working in partnership to deliver a safe, accessible, and compassionate pathway for patients in accordance with the Act.
Participating Medical Practitioners
In order to access voluntary assisted dying in South Australia, a person must have their eligibility for voluntary assisted dying assessed by two independent medical practitioners who have both undertaken the mandatory practitioner training.
A medical practitioner who has undertaken the mandatory training is eligible to undertake either of the following roles:
Coordinating Practitioner: A participating practitioner who accepts a person’s first request for voluntary assisted dying and coordinates the person’s progress along the voluntary assisted dying pathway.
Consulting Practitioner: A participating practitioner who accepts a consulting referral from a Coordinating Practitioner and provides the second independent assessment of eligibility. Participating practitioners are from a wide range of medical specialities including General Practice and work across South Australia both in public health services and in private practise.
SA Voluntary Assisted Dying Care Navigator Service (SAVAD-CNS)
The South Australian Voluntary Assisted Dying Care Navigator Service (SAVAD-CNS) and VAD Liaison Officers provide a service to assist people considering voluntary assisted dying, their family, friends and carers, health practitioners and health service providers to navigate the voluntary assisted dying pathway.
Care Navigators and VAD Liaison Officers are nursing and allied health professionals with experience in complex and end of life care who manage queries related to voluntary assisted dying, facilitate connections between services, and support referrals to participating medical practitioners.
Care Navigators work primarily with patients requesting information or support to access voluntary assisted dying in the community. The SAVAD CNS is located at Marion GP Plus in the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network.
VAD Liaison Officers within South Australian Local Health Networks support patients seeking information or access to voluntary assisted dying whilst they are being treated as a patient in a public hospital.
Both Care Navigators and VAD Liaisons provide:
- general information about end of life care services, including voluntary assisted dying and bereavement support
- individualised support for people accessing voluntary assisted dying
- assistance connecting people accessing voluntary assisted dying with appropriate medical practitioners and health services participating in voluntary assisted dying
- support for medical practitioners and health services
- education and training for health services.
SA Voluntary Assisted Dying Pharmacy (SAVAD-PS)
The South Australian Voluntary Assisted Dying Pharmacy Service (SAVAD-PS) provides the safe supply, education, and disposal of voluntary assisted dying medication. Forming part of SA Pharmacy, the SAVAD-PS works with the South Australian Voluntary Assisted Dying Care Navigator Service and medical practitioners to ensure continuity of care and support for people accessing voluntary assisted dying in South Australia.
SAVAD-PS is available statewide and can visit people who have a self-administration permit or medical practitioners with a practitioner administration permit anywhere in South Australia to provide necessary information and supply the voluntary assisted dying medication. SAVAD-PS is responsible for:
- supply of the voluntary assisted dying medication kit
- educating a person accessing voluntary assisted dying about the administration process
- educating the Contact Person about their responsibilities to return the medication
- educating medical practitioners about the medication-related aspects of the pathway
- facilitating the return and safe disposal of any unused voluntary assisted dying medication
- preparing and maintaining medication-related resources
- supporting healthcare services in the preparation and maintenance of medication-related governance.
Voluntary Assisted Dying Operations Team
The Voluntary Assisted Dying Operations Team in the Department for Health and Wellbeing is responsible for the management of the day-to-day mechanisms that support the voluntary assisted dying pathway.
The team provides support to medical practitioners to help them to:
- register for and undertake the mandatory clinical training to become a participating practitioner
- submit forms and information to the Voluntary Assisted Dying Clinical Portal in support of a voluntary assisted dying permit application in accordance with the Act.
The Voluntary Assisted Dying Operations Team is also responsible for developing and maintaining up to date information, education, and resources regarding voluntary assisted dying for medical practitioners, clinicians, patients, and the community.
Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board Secretariat
The Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board Secretariat team in the Department for Health and Wellbeing provides secretariat support to the Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board.
This includes support for Board members to enable them to carry out their role; administration of monthly Board meetings; preparation of detailed compliance reviews for each completed voluntary assisted dying application; and development of voluntary assisted dying reports.