Voluntary Assisted Dying Board

The inaugural members of the Voluntary Assisted Dying Board are:

• Dr Scott Blackwell
  The Board is chaired by general practitioner and former AMA WA branch president, Dr Scott Blackwell. Dr Blackwell has expertise in palliative and aged care and has chaired the Implementation Leadership Team on voluntary assisted dying.
• Hon Colin Holt (Deputy chairperson)
  Mr Holt recently retired as Member of the Legislative Council for the South West Region of Western Australia.  He was also deputy chairperson of the Joint Select Committee on End of Life Choices.
• Dr Robert Edis
  Dr Edis is a consultant neurologist with a long-time interest in progressive neurological diseases including a special experience in multidisciplinary team motor neurone disease care. He strongly supports the defined WA VAD option to be available to people with these diseases.
• Ms Maria Osman
  Ms Osman is a Non-Executive Director with over forty years’ experience working in human rights, diversity and gender equality. Maria was a member of the Ministerial Expert Panel on voluntary assisted dying and is currently a board member of the UWA Public Policy Institute-International Advisory Committee, the Child and Adolescent Health Services Board (CAHS) and the Gnaala Karla Booja Aboriginal Corporation.
• Ms Linda Savage
  Ms Savage is a lawyer and former director of the Social Security Appeals Tribunal and a legal member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. She has also been a Member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia.

The Board has the following functions:

• to monitor the operation of the Act
• to provide to the Minister for Health or the Director General of the Department of Health (as the CEO under the Act), on its own initiative or on request, advice, information and reports on matters relating to the operation of the Act, including any recommendations for the improvements of voluntary assisted dying
• to refer to any of the following persons or bodies any matter identified by the Board in relation to voluntary assisted dying that is relevant to the functions of the Commissioner of Police, the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages, the State Coroner, the CEO, the Director General of the Department of Justice, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and the Director of the Health and Disability Services Complaints Office
• to conduct analysis of, and research in relation to, information given to the Board under the Act
• to collect, use and disclose information given to the Board under the Act for the purposes of performing its functions
• any other function given to the Board under the Act. 

Information related to functions of the Board

• Information for the Contact Person (PDF 130KB)
• List of Authorised Disposers (PDF 500KB)
• Information for patients about their data (PDF 478KB).

The process for voluntary assisted dying has a number of forms that are required to be submitted to the Board.

The Voluntary Assisted Dying Information Management System (VAD-IMS) is the online platform by which practitioners can submit forms to the Board.

Most forms will be submitted by practitioners who have registered and completed the WA VAD Approved Training. These practitioners will have their own log in to VAD-IMS.

However, there are some practitioners who will need to complete and submit a form without having access to VAD-IMS. These forms include:

• the First Request Form
• the Consultation Referral Form
• the Authorised Disposal Form
• the Notification of Death (Other Medical Practitioner) Form

These forms can be completed via VAD-IMS without logging in to the system.

For further information on how to use VAD-IMS please refer to the section ‘VAD-IMS user support’.

For further information on the requirements of the voluntary assisted dying process please refer to the following resources:

• Department of Health Voluntary Assisted Dying
• Department of Health Voluntary Assisted Dying First Request
• WA Voluntary Assisted Dying Guidelines (PDF 11MB)

There are two main types of practitioners who will need to use VAD-IMS. Those who have a log in for access to the system and those who do not.

Practitioners who have a log in to VAD-IMS

Full user support documentation and demonstration videos are available through MyFT. As part of the VAD-IMS registration process you will have been given access to the secure resource folder on MyFT (external site).

Practitioners who do not have a log in to VAD-IMS

The following Quick Reference Guides should assist you to complete your submission:

• QRG First Request Form (PDF 1.2MB)
• QRG Consultation Referral Form (PDF 1.3MB)
• QRG Authorised Disposal Form (PDF 1.1MB)
• QRG Notification of Death (Other Medical Practitioner) Form (PDF 1.1MB)
• QRG Upload a signed form (PDF 735KB)

The following short demonstration videos may also assist you to complete your submission:

• Demo video - First Request Form (external site)
• Demo video - Consultation Referral Form (external site)
• Demo video - Authorised Disposal Form (external site)
• Demo video - Notification of Death (Other Medical Practitioner) Form ) (external site)
• Demo video - Uploading a signed form (external site)

If you are seeking access to VAD-IMS:

• QRG Practitioner Registration (PDF 625KB)
• QRG Account activation (PDF 562KB)
• Also refer to the Access to WA VAD Approved Training (PDF 2MB) information sheet from the Department of Health

User support from the Board Secretariat Unit

If you require further assistance, please contact the Board Secretariat Unit via VADBoard@health.wa.gov.au

If you are having issues with submitting a form via VAD-IMS upload please contact the Board Secretariat Unit for assistance via VADBoard@health.wa.gov.au. 

In the case of unresolved upload issues, forms may also be submitted to the Voluntary Assisted Dying Board via fax on (08) 9222 0399 or via post addressed to:

Voluntary Assisted Dying Board Secretariat Unit
Office of the Chief Medical Officer
PO Box 8172
Perth Business Centre
Perth WA 6849

• Quality Practice Series #1 (Jan 2022)
• Quality Practice Series #2 (Aug 2022)
• Quality Practice Series #3 (Dec 2022)
• Quality Practice Series #4 (Mar 2023)

The Voluntary Assisted Dying Board is required to prepare and give to the Minister for Health a report on the operation of the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2019 within 6 months of the end of each financial year.

• Voluntary Assisted Dying in Western Australia – Annual Report 2021–22 (PDF 1.5MB).

The Voluntary Assisted Dying Board receives feedback via Personal reflections form (PDF 455KB) | (Word 391KB) from those involved in the voluntary assisted dying process including patients, their family or practitioners involved in their care. Personal reflections may be used by the Voluntary Assisted Dying Board to improve the operation of voluntary assisted dying processes and inform safety and quality improvements relating to voluntary assisted dying in Western Australia.

Completed Personal reflections form (PDF 455KB) | (Word 391KB) can be returned to the Voluntary Assisted Dying Board via:

1. Email to VADBoard@health.wa.gov.au 
2. Post addressed to: 
   Voluntary Assisted Dying Board Secretariat Unit 
   PO Box 8172
   Perth Business Centre
   Perth WA 6849
3. Fax to 08 9222 0399