Seven months of official data

The NSW VAD Board Report was released on 29 November for the 7 month period from 28 Nov 2023 - 30 June 2024. During that period 398 terminally ill people died using VAD which is slightly lower than we would have anticipated.

We’re very pleased with the level of detail in the Report, particularly the geographic breakdown which indicates higher numbers in regional areas compared with Greater Sydney. VAD opponents have claimed this as proof that people are resorting to VAD due to lack of access to palliative care but this is clearly untrue. The Report shows that 85% of VAD applicants are also receiving palliative care - a higher proportion than in other states. We’ve always believed that VAD and palliative care are complementary practices and the NSW results bear this out - people want both.

In other respects the data is consistent with that of the other states with the majority of applicants in their 70s and dying of cancer.  Read the full report here:  NSW VAD Board Report 2023-2024