Terminally ill Victorians will have greater access to voluntary assisted dying after reforms passed the state's upper house last night. The changes include allowing doctors to raise the idea with their patients and taking away the need for a third prognosis for some disease-sufferers.
00:09A coffee addict, a really dedicated engineer, a lover of bees.
00:15Alex Blaine chose to end his life after a battle with Ewing's sarcoma,
00:20a rare and deadly cancer when he was 28.
00:24No medicine, no therapy gave Alex as much energy and dignity and control as his experience of being approved to use the voluntary assisted dying medication.
00:37Do you pass all the people and say aye? Aye.
00:39In a late sitting, Upper House MPs passed changes to make it easier for terminally ill patients like Alex to access life-ending drugs.
00:48The amendments include removing a gag clause for doctors to raise the topic with patients.
00:53Those with neurodegenerative diseases not needing a third prognosis if their expected lifespan is between 6 and 12 months.
01:01And requirements for health professionals who conscientiously object to share minimum information.
01:07The effects that this can have on people's lives are troubling.
01:14This is within the scope of practice of medical professionals to have these sorts of conversations with patients.
01:22Victoria led the country in 2017, when it became the first state to pass laws to give terminally ill patients the option to die with dignity.
01:32Since then, over 1,600 people have made decisions about their death.
01:37The government says these changes are designed to bring Victoria into line with other states.
01:41MPs were given a rare conscience vote on the matter, with some saying their views had changed since the legislation was first introduced.
01:49Those most familiar with the laws want change.
01:52He would be really comforted to know that other people will be helped the same way he was.
01:57So he would be able to help us.
01:58So he can talk with everybody else was in the country in the country as an example.
02:02So in the country, we want to bear a little bit of knowledge with our cooks.
02:03If you have a great job, you want to take a look at this execution.
02:05The one of the most, the one of the most, the one of the most, the one of the most, the most, the other people,
02:07is telling you where the most people are.
02:08About ten years ago, you have a healthy life country.
02:09And then in your mind, the rest is the same place.
02:10And again, this time of the most, the most people are in the world that you have as long as you have one of the most,
02:13of the most, the most, the most, the most, the most people are working to the most, of the most, the most public.
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