Eligible South Australians can request access to VAD from 31 January 2023.

The introduction of safe, accessible, and compassionate voluntary assisted dying (VAD) gives eligible South Australians with a terminal illness choice at the end of life.

VAD enables eligible people to voluntarily access and self-administer, or in some circumstances have a medical practitioner administer, a medication that will cause their death, in accordance with the steps and process set out in the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2021 (the Act).

The Knowing your choices: Information for people considering voluntary assisted dying resource is now available for people interested in learning more about voluntary assisted dying in South Australia.

To access VAD, a person must be assessed by two doctors who have been registered and trained to support the VAD process and ensure the person seeking to access VAD meets the following eligibility criteria:

  • they are 18 years old or older
  • they are an Australian citizen or permanent resident
  • they live in South Australia and have lived in South Australia for at least 12 months at the time of making their first request
  • they have decision making capacity
  • they are acting freely and without coercion
  • they are diagnosed with a disease, illness or medical condition that:
    • is incurable, and
    • is advanced, progressive and will cause death, and
    • is expected to cause death within weeks or months, not exceeding six months (12 months if they have a neurodegenerative condition), and
    • is causing suffering that cannot be relieved in a manner they consider tolerable.

A person will need to make three separate requests for VAD, including one written request that is witnessed by two eligible witnesses.

The Voluntary Assisted Dying Pathway provides an overview of the 11 steps people will need to take to access VAD.

If someone is thinking about requesting access to voluntary assisted dying, the first step they can take is to ask a health practitioner (such as a GP, medical practitioner, nurse or allied health practitioner) for information about it.

The South Australian Voluntary Assisted Dying Care Navigator Service (SAVAD-CNS) is also available to help people considering voluntary assisted dying and their family, friends and carers with questions and connect them to participating medical professionals.  

The Care Navigator Service can be contacted by email and phone during standard business hours (9.00am to 5:00pm).

Find out more about voluntary assisted dying in SA by visiting www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/vad.