New research shines a light on opportunities for introducing assisted dying “in a sustainable way”

Researchers at the Australian Centre for Health Law Research in Queensland, Australia, have published a new paper exploring the views and perspectives of healthcare practitioners on assisted dying in Queensland.

Legal assisted dying came into effect in the Australian state in January 2023, at the end of a 16-month implementation period which followed legalisation by the Queensland Parliament.

The research explored preparation during this implementation phase from the perspectives of healthcare practitioners who were not opposed in principle to assisted dying, sharing practitioners’ sense of preparedness for the law coming into effect

The authors highlight the importance of comprehensive and explicit training & guidance to support HCPs who wish to be involved in delivering assisted dying, as well as additional end-of-life education for healthcare workers generally. This, they argue, is vital to help prepare the medical workforce before assisted dying becomes available, and to help patients receive the care and support they need.

Crucially, the report notes that: “those with palliative care expertise may be key in providing this education, both on the practical aspects of end-of-life care and how best to support those involved”

This research offers useful lessons for MSPs and healthcare leaders in Scotland. As the Assisted Dying For Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill continues its journey through parliament, we intend to highlight these and other findings to MSPs, to make the case for a robust, safe and effective assisted dying law for Scotland.

You can access the paper in full here, and more detail about the Australian Centre for Health Law Research is available here.