28Information to be provided if patient assessed as meeting eligibility criteria

28 Information to be provided if patient assessed as meeting eligibility criteria

28 Information to be provided if patient assessed as meeting eligibility criteria

(1) If the coordinating practitioner is satisfied the patient meets all of the eligibility criteria, the coordinating practitioner must inform the patient about the following matters—

(a) the patient’s diagnosis and prognosis,

(b) the treatment options available to the patient that would be considered standard care for the disease, illness or medical condition with which the patient has been diagnosed and the likely outcomes of treatment,

(c) the palliative care and treatment options available to the patient and the likely outcomes of the care and treatment,

(d) the potential risks of self-administering or being administered a voluntary assisted dying substance likely to be prescribed under this Act for the purposes of causing the patient’s death,

(e) that the expected outcome of self-administering or being administered a substance referred to in paragraph (d) is death,

(f) the method by which a substance referred to in paragraph (d) is likely to be self-administered or administered,

(g) the request and assessment process, including the requirement for a written declaration signed by the patient, or a person on the patient’s behalf, in the presence of 2 witnesses,

(h) that if the patient makes a self-administration decision, the patient must appoint a contact person,

(i) that the patient may decide at any time not to continue the request and assessment process or not to access voluntary assisted dying,

(j) it is unlawful for a person to apply pressure or duress on the patient to request voluntary assisted dying or to continue the request and assessment process,

Note—

See the Crimes Act 1900, section 41C for the relevant offence

(k) that if the patient is receiving ongoing health services from a medical practitioner (the treating practitioner) other than the coordinating practitioner—

(i) the patient is encouraged to inform the treating practitioner about the patient’s request for access to voluntary assisted dying, and