It is a doctor's responsibility to do everything they can to treat, comfort and support patients, and provide them with all available options in managing their illness and treating their pain. It is a doctor's oath to do no harm. Doctors who support voluntary assisted dying laws want to be able to do more for their patients and provide them with more choices, to help prevent the harm caused by needless suffering.
It is not only former Australian of the year Prof. Fiona Stanley who supports the WA Voluntary Assisted Dying legislation. GP and former Liberal MP Mal Washer, Busselton GP Ian Catto, neurologist Rob Edis and Bunbury GP Mary Collins also believe West Australians should have the choice not to suffer at the end of life.
Specialist GP and hospital emergency doctor Dr David Leaf, regional GP Dr Alison Palmer, general practitioner Dr Andrew Zdenkowski, and medical student Heather Bell explain why they believe we need an voluntary assisted dying law in Australia.
Australia's nurses are on the frontline every day, working with dying patients and their families and providing treatment, care and emotional support. They witness more than anyone else the full and personal impact of Australia's lack of voluntary assisted dying laws.
Nurses Susie Byrne, Angie Black, Sandy Bradley, Coral Levett and Anne Maxwell share their experiences working with dying patients and their families, and why we need a voluntary assisted dying laws in Australia.
As the product of his extensive research, in Australia and in overseas jurisdictions which have legalised assisted dying, Andrew Denton and The Wheeler Centre created a 17-part podcast series called “Better Off Dead”, which explores the issues surrounding voluntary assisted dying in Australia and beyond. Click on the episode name to listen to the episode or click the link at the end of the description to read the transcript of that episode.
Please note: The content of this podcast and some of the articles written by Andrew Denton may be upsetting to those who do not like to recall their own experiences of suffering or watching those they care about suffer towards the end of their life. Denton’s podcast is not about suicide.