Medical practitioners complete a Practitioner Registration Form in the VAD Clinical Portal to register to provide voluntary assisted dying as a Coordinating or Consulting Medical Practitioner.
Who can provide voluntary assisted dying in South Australia?
People must be assessed as eligible to access voluntary assisted dying by both the below:
- a Coordinating Medical Practitioner who coordinates a person’s progress along the voluntary assisted dying pathway, including assessments, applying for a permit, and prescribing the voluntary assisted dying medication
- a Consulting Medical Practitioner who conducts a second eligibility assessment.
Only medical practitioners authorised by SA Health can provide voluntary assisted dying as a Coordinating or Consulting Medical Practitioner.
How do I become a voluntary assisted dying medical practitioner?
To be a Coordinating or Consulting Medical Practitioner for a patient you must:
- Complete a Practitioner Registration Form in the VAD Clinical Portal.
- Be verified by SA Health as holding a fellowship with a specialist medical college or be a vocationally registered general practitioner.
- Successfully complete the Mandatory Voluntary Assisted Dying Training for Medical Practitioners.
To register you’ll need to provide the below information:
- your Ahpra number so we can verify you hold a fellowship or are a vocationally registered general practitioner
- your details, for example name, phone number, email, work address
- proof of your identity, for example driver’s license
- confirmation you are eligible.
Once SA Health have verified you’re eligible, you’ll be sent a link to commence the Mandatory Voluntary Assisted Dying Training for Medical Practitioners.
Are there training requirements for voluntary assisted dying medical practitioners?
Before assessing a patient’s eligibility to access voluntary assisted dying, medical practitioners must successfully pass the online Mandatory Voluntary Assisted Dying Training for Medical Practitioners.
The training supports medical practitioners to:
- identify the key elements and roles of the voluntary assisted dying pathway
- understand the eligibility criteria for voluntary assisted dying patients and practitioners and how to carry out a patient eligibility assessment
- identify the two types of voluntary assisted dying permits and how to apply for each
- understand the importance of voluntariness and be able to identify signs of coercion
- understand legal and administrative obligations of participating practitioners.
The training can only be accessed by medical practitioners who register in the VAD Clinical Portal and are verified as eligible by SA Health.
The training is completed online and is valid for five years.