NSW Voluntary Assisted Dying Legislative Review

Since 28 November 2023, voluntary assisted dying has been an additional end of life option for people in NSW. Under the legislation, NSW Health is required to commence a legislative review into the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act (the Act) after 28 November 2025.   

As required by the Act, the review will focus on the operation and effectiveness of the legislation. It will include consideration of the principles of the Act, in particular, the following principles -

• a person is entitled to genuine choices about the person's care, treatment and end of life, irrespective of where the person lives in New South Wales and having regard to the person's culture and language,
• a person who is a regional resident is entitled to the same level of access to voluntary assisted dying and high quality care and treatment, including palliative care and treatment, as a person who lives in a metropolitan region.

The focus of this review is on strengthening the model and frameworks that support voluntary assisted dying in NSW. The review will not examine whether voluntary assisted dying should be precluded.

NSW Health has developed a background paper outlining the scope and key themes of the review. As part of the consultation, key stakeholders were invited to provide feedback.

Submissions to the legislative review have now closed.

Thank you to all those who made a submission. Submissions will inform the legislative review report and may be used in publications about the report.  The report will be tabled in Parliament by November 2026. All submissions will be deidentified in the final report.