Regulating voluntary assisted dying practice: A policy analysis from Victoria, Australia

Victoria is the first state in Australia to legalise voluntary assisted dying (elsewhere known as physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia). The Victorian law took effect in 2019 after an 18-month implementation period designed to facilitate policy development and other regulatory infrastructure.

To study publicly available policy documents regarding voluntary assisted dying in Victoria and the issues they seek to regulate.

Policies were identified using a combination of search strategies to capture documents aimed at a broad range of stakeholders including health practitioners, patients, and families. The policies were thematically analysed using the Framework Method.

The study identified 60 policies and five themes: 1) conceptions of policy purpose; 2) degree of support for VAD; 3) guidance about process; 4) navigating conscientious objection; and 5) conceptualising voluntary assisted dying and its relationship with other aspects of end-of-life care. Outside of the detailed Victorian Government policies, there was little practical guidance for voluntary assisted dying provision. Instead, the non-governmental policies tended to focus on positioning regarding VAD and entry into the process.

The study demonstrates the value of a planned implementation period for jurisdictions contemplating voluntary assisted dying reform and highlights the challenges in policymaking for a practice that is contentious for some.