Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) legislation comes into effect this Sunday. Whatever your role here at Redcliffe Hospital, you must know your obligations under the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2021.

Before the legislation takes effect, I strongly encourage all hospital staff to complete the training package – Voluntary Assisted Dying Education module for healthcare workers. The training only takes about 45 minutes, and it will help you to meet your obligations to our patients and community.

It’s also essential that everyone knows how to respond to a question about VAD by a patient.

If you are not a medical practitioner or a nurse practitioner, you must not initiate a conversation about VAD with a patient. Hospital staff who are not medical or nurse practitioners may only provide general information about VAD in response to a clear and unambiguous question asked by a patient.

To help prepare for that situation, there’s a Conversation Guide and Information for Healthcare Workers available here, and I encourage everyone to read more about the best ways to respond to a person asking about VAD, by clicking here.

If you’re unsure about any aspect of how VAD will work, talk to your line manager. The Metro North VAD team will also be available at: MetroNorth_VAD@health.qld.gov.au.

Geoff Grima
Acting Executive Director
Redcliffe Hospital