What happens if my hospital, hospice or aged-care facility does not participate in VAD?
If a facility does not participate in VAD, it may still have duties to give information, allow access or help with transfer, depending on the law where you are.
Some hospitals, hospices and aged-care facilities do not provide voluntary assisted dying (VAD). This may be because of religious, ethical or organisational policy. What they must do next depends on the state or territory.
In some places, facilities have legal duties not to block reasonable access to VAD practitioners or navigator services. In other places, the rules are different.
General information: This page gives general information for people in Australia. Facility duties differ by state and territory and can be legally complex. Confirm current rules with the VAD care navigator service in your jurisdiction.
Ask what the facility will do
Ask for the policy in writing if you can. Useful questions include:
- "Do you provide VAD assessment or administration here?"
- "If not, will you allow a VAD doctor or navigator to visit?"
- "Can you help me contact the official VAD service?"
- "What happens if I become too unwell to transfer?"
Care should continue
A facility's position on VAD should not mean ordinary care stops. You should still receive symptom relief, nursing care, palliative care, personal care and emotional support.
If you feel care has changed because you asked about VAD, raise it with the treating team, facility manager, patient liaison service or VAD navigator.
Transfer may be discussed
Some people may need transfer to another place for assessment or administration. Transfer can be hard if the person is frail, distressed or close to death. Raise this early so the team can plan.
You may also want to read
- Can a facility stop a VAD practitioner from visiting me?
- What happens if I become too sick to transfer to another facility for VAD?
- Will my palliative care team still care for me if I ask about VAD?