There must be at least 9 days between the first and final request. This period allows time for you to reflect on your choices while ensuring your suffering isn’t drawn out.
The 9-day period can be shortened if your coordinating and consulting doctors both believe that you are likely to die or lose decision-making capacity during that time.
Only you can make a request for voluntary assisted dying, your family and carers cannot request voluntary assisted dying on your behalf.
You ask a doctor for access to voluntary assisted dying. This is the first of 3 requests.
The request must be:
If you choose to start the voluntary assisted dying process, you should make your request to your doctor during a medical consultation. This can be in person or via telehealth.
Not all doctors provide voluntary assisted dying services, but all doctors have legal obligations.
The Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2021 (the Act) states that if a doctor chooses not to be involved, they must give you information about other doctors or services who may be able to help you access voluntary assisted dying. A doctor can refuse your request if they:
If the reason for refusing the first request is a conscientious objection, the doctor must immediately inform you of this reason. Otherwise, the doctor must inform you of their acceptance or refusal within 2 business days after the first request is made.
If the doctor accepts the first request, they become your coordinating practitioner (coordinating doctor) and must give you the approved voluntary assisted dying first request information. The coordinating doctor supports you through the process. To be a coordinating doctor a doctor must meet eligibility criteria and have completed the mandatory training.
Following your first request, your coordinating doctor assesses if you are eligible for voluntary assisted dying.
To be eligible for voluntary assisted dying, your coordinating doctor will assess you against each of the eligibility criteria.
You must meet all the eligibility criteria to access voluntary assisted dying.
If your coordinating doctor cannot determine if you:
they must refer you to another registered health practitioner or person with appropriate skills and training to determine if you do.
Once you have been to your referral appointment and your coordinating doctor has received the report, they can choose to:
Your coordinating doctor will use their clinical judgement and expertise in making this decision.
If your coordinating doctor believes you meet all the eligibility criteria they will give you information about:
Before you can be assessed as eligible to access voluntary assisted dying your coordinating doctor must be satisfied that you understand the information you are given.
You will be assessed as eligible and meeting the requirements of the first assessment If your coordinating doctor is satisfied you:
Your coordinating doctor will then refer you to another doctor for a second assessment–called the consulting assessment.
If the other doctor accepts the referral, they become your consulting practitioner (consulting doctor).
Your coordinating doctor can assess you as ineligible for voluntary assisted dying if they are not satisfied you:
If your coordinating doctor assesses you as ineligible, the voluntary assisted dying process ends.
If your coordinating doctor decides that you are ineligible, they will:
Your coordinating doctor may also talk to you about other care and support available to you. This could include:
If your coordinating doctor assesses you as ineligible you can:
If you do this the voluntary assisted dying process will start from the beginning.
You can also apply to have certain decisions of the coordinating doctor reviewed by QCAT.
Your consulting doctor will do a second, independent assessment, to decide if you are eligible.
Your consulting doctor can also refer you for a second opinion to determine if you:
You will be assessed as eligible and meeting the requirements of the consulting assessment If your consulting doctor is satisfied you:
They will advise your coordinating doctor that they have assessed you as eligible. You can then make a second request to your coordinating doctor.
Your consulting doctor can assess you as ineligible for voluntary assisted dying if they are not satisfied you:
If your consulting doctor assesses you as ineligible, your coordinating doctor may refer you to another doctor for another consulting assessment. There is no limit on the number of times this can happen. However, if your coordinating doctor does not think it is appropriate to refer you, the process ends.
You can also apply to have certain consulting and coordinating doctors’ decisions reviewed by QCAT.
If your coordinating doctor decides not to refer you for another consulting assessment you can:
If you do this the voluntary assisted dying process will start from the beginning.
You do not have to continue with the voluntary assisted dying process after the first and consulting assessments. You can stop the process at any time.
If you are assessed as eligible and you want to continue, you can make a second request, to your coordinating doctor in writing, to access voluntary assisted dying.
The second request can be made at any time after the consulting assessment is completed, and you have been assessed as eligible.
To make a second request you must complete the Second Request Form in writing. Your coordinating doctor will give you a copy of this form.
To complete the form, you must:
You do not need to complete the Second Request Form in the presence of your coordinating doctor.
Your witness will need to certify that:
Your witnesses must also state in the form that they are not knowingly an ineligible witness.
A witness cannot be:
If you cannot find anyone to be your witnesses, you can:
You do not need to fill in any forms to appoint someone as your witness. However, you should let your coordinating doctor know who is going to act as your witnesses.
If you are unable to write, you can ask someone else to sign the Second Request Form on your behalf. They must sign this front of you and your 2 witnesses. To be able to sign the request on your behalf the person must:
You must give the signed Second Request Form to your coordinating doctor.
The following resources are available for you and your witnesses when completing the second request:
If you wish to continue with the request process, the next step is to make a third and final request to your coordinating doctor.
After the second request is completed, signed, witnessed, and given to your coordinating doctor, you can make a third and final request for access to voluntary assisted dying.
If you decide to make a final request, you must make this request yourself to your coordinating doctor. This request can be made verbally, or by other means of communication such as hand gestures.
You should make the final request when you are ready. However, there is a 9-day minimum timeframe between the first and final request and the earliest you can make your final request is the 10th day after your first request was made and accepted, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
You must also wait until the day after your consulting assessment to make a final request.
Your coordinating doctor may start the final review process after you have made a valid final request.
In this step your coordinating doctor will confirm if the request and assessment process has been completed correctly.
Your coordinating doctor must confirm that:
If your coordinating doctor is satisfied that the requirements of the final review have been met and if you wish to continue with the voluntary assisted dying process, the next step is to make an administration decision.
You do not have to continue the voluntary assisted dying process after the request and assessment has been completed. You can stop the process at any time.
If your coordinating doctor is not satisfied, they will not move you onto the next stage.
Your coordinating doctor will:
Your coordinating doctor will also talk to you about other care and support available to you. This could include:
If your coordinating doctor is not satisfied that you still have decision-making capacity and are acting voluntarily and without coercion, you can:
If you do this the voluntary assisted dying process will start from the beginning.
You can also apply to have the decision reviewed by QCAT.
Request and assessment—Voluntary assisted dying process, 08 Dec 2022, [https://www.qld.gov.au/health/support/voluntary-assisted-dying/explained/process/request-and-assessment]
This document is uncontrolled when printed. Before using the information in this document you should verify the current content on https://www.qld.gov.au/health/support/voluntary-assisted-dying/explained/process/request-and-assessment.