First Request - Voluntary Assisted Dying

Voluntary assisted dying is a process that enables a person who is suffering from a terminal medical condition to legally access a substance to end their life, with support and assistance from medical practitioners. 

Voluntary assisted dying in Tasmania is regulated by the End-of-Life Choices (Voluntary Assisted Dying) Act 2021 (the Act)

The Act sets out the criteria that a person must meet, and the steps that a person must follow, to access voluntary assisted dying.

Assisting a person to access voluntary assisted dying

The voluntary assisted dying process set out in the Act enables medical practitioners to support and assist a person to access a substance to end their life in a range of ways. The Relevant Facts document provides further detail, in simple terms, of the voluntary assisted dying process and of the ways in which medical practitioners can assist.

To determine a person’s eligibility to access voluntary assisted dying, to provide a second opinion about a person’s eligibility, and to assist a person to access the substance, a medical practitioner must have relevant experience and have completed an approved voluntary assisted dying training course.

The approved voluntary assisted dying training course takes between 5 – 10 hours and is self-paced.

Find out more about Tasmanian Voluntary Assisted Dying Training

Do I have to become involved?

There is no requirement under the Act for a medical practitioner to assist a person to access voluntary assisted dying. The only obligations imposed by the Act are the minimum obligations set out in the Minimum Obligations for medical practitioners fact sheet.

Download the Minimum Obligations for medical practitioners fact sheet

Making a First Request

Under section 18 of the Tasmanian End-of-Life Choices (Voluntary Assisted Dying) Act 2021 (the Act), a person who wishes to access voluntary assisted dying, and who has received the relevant facts in relation to accessing voluntary assisted dying (the Relevant Facts document) from a medical practitioner, can ask the medical practitioner to determine whether they are eligible to access voluntary assisted dying. This is the person’s First Request.

Relevant Facts document

The Relevant Facts document is to be given to a person who wishes or attempts to make a formal First Request for access to voluntary assisted dying. It is also to be given to a family member of a person who is found, following their formal First Request, to be eligible to access voluntary assisted dying, provided the person consents.

Download the Relevant Facts document

Form 1 - First Request

A First Request can be made verbally, or in writing. A person who chooses to make a written request may use the Voluntary Assisted Dying Form 1 - First Request.

Download the making a First Request form and fact sheet

Accepting or refusing a First Request

Under section 19 of the Act, upon receipt of a First Request, the medical practitioner must either accept the request or refuse to accept the request, within 48 hours of receiving it. Form 2 - First Request: Accept or Refuse provides a method of response.

Download the accepting or refusing a First Request fact sheet

For a copy of Form 2 – First Request – Decision to Accept or Refuse, please email [email protected] or call toll free on 1800 568 956 (Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM).