First nations people—voluntary assisted dying

The final stages of life

The lead up to an expected passing is a very sensitive time for individuals, their mob and their community.

If you become very sick, there are a number of healthcare options you can choose from.

You should talk to your doctor about what options are available and best for you.

Voluntary assisted dying

Voluntary assisted dying is about choice. It gives people who meet eligibility criteria and who are suffering and very sick the option to ask for medical help to end their life. Voluntary assisted dying is not suicide.

Voluntary assisted dying is voluntary. Only you can ask for voluntary assisted dying. No one can ask for voluntary assisted dying for you and no one can make you ask for voluntary assisted dying.

No healthcare worker will ever force or try to convince you that you should access voluntary assisted dying.

If you are thinking about accessing voluntary assisted dying, or choose to access voluntary assisted dying, you will continue to receive end-of-life and palliative care. You do not need to stop your end-of-life care if you choose to access voluntary assisted dying - you do not have to choose one or the other.

The role of family and community

If you are considering accessing voluntary assisted dying your family, mob and community will be able to provide you with support as you work your way through the process. You can talk to your family, mob and community about what you are thinking, but it is important that choosing to access voluntary assisted dying is your decision.

Some of your mob may not be supportive of your choice to access voluntary assisted dying, due to their beliefs. This means that you may not have the usual level of support you would normally have. If this happens it is important you talk to your doctor about this so they can help you get the support you need.

Asking about voluntary assisted dying

Only a doctor or nurse practitioner can start a conversation about voluntary assisted dying with you. If they do this, they must also talk to you about:

• other treatment options and likely outcomes
• palliative care treatment and support options and likely outcomes of this care.

Other healthcare workers can only talk to you about voluntary assisted dying if you ask them for information. If you want to talk to a healthcare worker you trust, for example, an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker, you must ask them very clearly for this information. You could ask them:

• “I feel like I can’t go on like this. Would voluntary assisted dying be an option for me?”

Asking for information does not mean you have started the voluntary assisted dying process. You can have lots of yarns with your healthcare team about voluntary assisted dying, to make sure you have the information you need to decide if you want to or don’t want to access voluntary assisted dying.

Not all healthcare workers provide voluntary assisted dying

Voluntary assisted dying is complex, with many holding personal views for reasons that are important to them.

Not all doctors or healthcare workers may want to talk about or provide voluntary assisted dying. All healthcare workers can choose to conscientiously object to participating in any stage of the voluntary assisted dying process. This is the right to refuse to talk about or provide voluntary assisted dying services due to personal reasons or beliefs.

If your healthcare team is not able to respond to your questions about voluntary assisted dying, they should give you the details of another healthcare worker who can or the Queensland Voluntary Assisted Dying Support Service (QVAD-Support).

Returning to country

If you are accessing voluntary assisted dying and you want to return to country to pass there may be support available.

QVAD-Access is a travel subsidiary arrangement that helps people living in regional, rural, and remote parts of the state access voluntary assisted dying if it is not available locally. QVAD-Access is managed by QVAD-Support.

Resources

• Information for Aboriginal peoples and Torres strait Islander peoples about voluntary assisted dying (PDF, 547.9 KB)
• Information about supporting Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples to access voluntary assisted dying (PDF, 311.9 KB)

Recording - Information session for Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples

Further information

• The eligibility criteria
• The voluntary assisted dying process
• Getting help with communicating
• Help and support

Acknowledgment of Country

Queensland Health acknowledges the Traditional and Cultural custodians of the lands, waters, and seas across Queensland, pays respect to Elders past and present, and recognises the role of current and emerging leaders in shaping a better health system. We recognise the First Nations peoples in Queensland are both Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and support the cultural knowledge, determination and commitment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in caring for the health and wellbeing of our peoples for millennia.

The terms ‘First Nations peoples’ and ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ are used interchangeably. Acknowledging First Nations peoples’ right to self-determination, Queensland Health respects the choice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to describe their own cultural identities which may include these or other terms, including particular sovereign peoples or traditional place names.

Acknowledgment of co-design

Queensland Health acknowledges the significant contributions of all stakeholders who have supported the implementation of voluntary assisted dying as part of the Implementation Taskforce, committees, working groups, and forums. This includes doctors, nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals, Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples, consumers, and content experts from across Queensland. The authors extend their sincere thanks to these contributors for generously providing their advice and feedback.