Submission to the Queensland Inquiry into aged care, end-of-life and palliative care and voluntary assisted dying

The APS made a submission to the Queensland Government emphasising the importance of a process that is characterised by care, compassion and considered decision-making over time.

The APS recommended that:

• The Queensland Government considers the limitations of the existing medicalised, service system to manage people’s preferences and sense of control as they approach the end of their life.
• The Queensland Government draws on (or commissions if unavailable) robust, transparent and impartial research to examine Queensland community views about voluntary assisted dying, and uses this evidence base to drive future decision-making about end of life choices.
• In the event VAD is legislated in Queensland, the APS strongly advocates for increased access to psychological services.
• Future legislation should include an equity impact assessment (a process to ensure that a policy, project or scheme does not discriminate against any disadvantaged or vulnerable people).
• Implementation of any VAD scheme needs to consider the existing and future capacity of an appropriately skilled workforce to meet the needs of people approaching the end of their lives.

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