By the end of 2023, voluntary assisted dying will be a legal right in some circumstances for patients with life-ending illnesses in every state in Australia, and it seems likely the NT and the ACT will follow.

This means that, irrespective of our personal views on voluntary assisted dying (VAD), all doctors in Australia should be considering how they will respond when one of their patients requests VAD, has requested VAD of a medical colleague, raises the topic of their wish to access VAD at some time in the future or simply wants to talk about it.

Clearly, not all doctors will receive such approaches. But as trusted healthcare advisors, doctors should not be surprised that members of the community prefer to discuss VAD with them.

The first step should be to understand the legislation in your state.