Voluntary Assisted Dying report of operations (July 2021 to June 2022)

This is the sixth report from the independent Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board.

It details activity under the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017  from 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2022 and is the first annual report from the Board.

The report shows that since June 2019 (when the Act commenced) until 30 June 2022: 

• 1425 people were assessed for eligibility to access voluntary assisted dying 
• 1035 permits were issued  
• 604 permit holders died from taking the prescribed substance 
• 326 trained medical practitioners are now registered in the portal to support voluntary assisted dying. 

The report provides details about who is accessing voluntary assisted dying:  

• The median age of applicants was 73 years, and half of all applicants were aged 65-81 years.  
• Just over half of the applicants were male (54 per cent male, 46 per cent female)
• Over one third (37 per cent) of applicants lived in regional Victoria, despite only 22 per cent of the Victorian population living in regional areas
• 81 percent of applicants were accessing palliative care at the time of requesting voluntary assisted dying 
• 17 per cent had a non-malignant diagnosis, most commonly a neurodegenerative disease 

The independent Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board plays an important role in assuring the community and health practitioners that voluntary assisted dying is closely and independently monitored and reviewed. View previous reports.