• Jodhi Rutherford, Lindy Willmott, and Ben P White.
• Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Faculty of Law, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
• Omega (Westport). 2021 Jul 20: 302228211033109.

BackgroundLike many countries where voluntary assisted dying (VAD) is legal, eligible doctors in Victoria, Australia, have sole legal authority to provide it. Doctors' attitudes towards legalised VAD have direct bearing on their willingness to participate in VAD and consequently, on whether permissive laws can effectively facilitate access to VAD. The study aimed to explore how some Victorian doctors are perceiving and experiencing the provision of legalised VAD under a recently commenced law.MethodsSemi-structured interviews with 25 Victorian doctors with no in-principle objection to legalised VAD were conducted between July 2019-February 2020. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using thematic analysis. Ethical approval from the relevant institution was obtained.ResultsDoctors perceive or experience VAD to fundamentally challenge traditional medical practice. Barriers to access to VAD derive from applicant, communication, and doctor-related factors. Doctors' willingness to participate in VAD is situation specific.

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