Ms Casey Haining1, Professor Lindy Willmott1, Professor Ben White1
1Australian Centre For Health Law Research, Queensland University of Technology, , Australia
Biography:
Casey Haining is a research fellow at the Australian Centre for Health Law Research.
Abstract:
Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) has been a lawful end-of-life choice for eligible Victorians since 2019. International evidence, and emerging Australian evidence, recognizes that while the delivery of VAD can be rewarding for participating doctors, it can also be very time intensive and take a toll on those involved. Having systems in place that adequately support those involved in the delivery of VAD are, therefore, imperative to the systems’ overall sustainability. Despite this, to date there has been limited exploration of the nature of these support structures and self-care practices of the workforce. This presentation aims to fill this gap by reporting on the findings of semi-structured interviews with 37 VAD regulators (those involved in steering and guiding behaviour in relation to VAD). Preliminary thematic analysis has identified four distinct, but interrelated, themes: (1) tolls of the VAD system; (2) current efforts to support workforce; (3) challenges with sustaining the workforce; and (4) ways forward to promote sustainability. Given the delivery of VAD rests on the commitment of its workforce, these results are timely to consider as the demand and availability of VAD grows throughout Australia.