Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) Participating Practitioner Training Workshop
Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) has been a legal end-of-life option for eligible patients since 1 July 2021. People in the advanced stages of a terminal illness now have a choice in the manner and timing of their death. As a clinician you may have experienced situations where your patients have sought information or access to VAD and perhaps have been unclear with how to address a First Request for VAD.
North Metropolitan Health Service (NMHS) is again hosting training for any medical practitioners interested in undertaking the WA Department of Health approved Voluntary Assisted Dying practitioner training.
Finding the time and opportunity to complete lengthy training can be a challenge in busy clinical contexts, so to support those interested in undertaking the training, NMHS is hosting 1-day training workshops. Places for the December 8 workshop are strictly limited and must be pre-registered by Friday 1 December.
There are three types of participating practitioner roles that assist a patient to access VAD:
- A coordinating practitioner is responsible for overseeing the majority of the VAD process
- A consulting practitioner gives an opinion on eligibility against defined criteria
- An administering practitioner may administer the VAD substance (in cases where the patient has met the eligibility criteria for this option, in contrast to self-administration)
Further information about these roles can be found on the WA Department of Health voluntary assisted dying website here. To participate in VAD in one of these roles, there is mandatory online training that must be completed.
To register or express your interest for future training opportunities, please email Meg Plaster at megan.plaster@health.wa.gov.au.