From Margins to Mainstream: 350 health leaders tackle the next frontier of voluntary assisted dying care

In just ten years, voluntary assisted dying (VAD) has moved from a contested idea to laws passed in every Australian state and territory. With thousands of Australians now accessing VAD each year, the focus has shifted to ensuring all eligible people can access safe, equitable and high-quality care.

To help shape this next chapter, more than 350 health professionals, policymakers and researchers from across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand are gathering in Melbourne this week for the two-day Voluntary Assisted Dying Conference (VADCON26).

Despite rapid progress and extensive evidence that VAD services are operating well, significant barriers remain. Workforce shortages, obstruction by some health services, restrictive processes and federal legal barriers mean eligible people still struggle to exercise their end-of-life choice.

Conference co-convenor and Go Gentle Australia CEO Dr Linda Swan said:

“Passing VAD laws was only ever the first step. We must now ensure every eligible person who wants this choice can access high-quality VAD care, regardless of where they live or who provides their care.

“We have an opportunity to build on a decade of reform by tackling the barriers that remain and making VAD a fully integrated part of end-of-life care. That will take collaboration between clinicians, policymakers, researchers and health services.”

VADCON is the largest gathering of its type in the world and the only conference in Australia and New Zealand dedicated solely to VAD. It brings together the full breadth of the sector: health professionals, service leaders, policymakers, researchers, advocates and people with lived experience.

Delegates include: VAD practitioners; health professionals across all jurisdictions; and leaders from Palliative Care Australia, Health NZ, MND Australia, Ageing Australia, Dementia Australia and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF).

Conference highlights include:

 Critical policy and clinical debates on integrating VAD and palliative care, workforce sustainability, eligibility for people with multiple serious conditions, VAD and dementia, grief and bereavement, and tackling stigma.

Findings from the 2026 National VAD Survey, revealing fresh insights into Australians’ experiences of and attitudes towards VAD.Launch of the inaugural VAD Workforce Survey, examining workforce capacity, remuneration, professional support and sustainability.New Quality Care Principles, providing a framework for integrated, high-quality VAD care, including support for families and carers after death.Keynote address by medical oncologist, Fulbright scholar and award-winning writer Dr Ranjana Srivastava OAM, Between Hope and Humility: An Oncologist’s Reflections on VAD.The 2026 Voluntary Assisted Dying Awards, celebrating excellence in VAD care, advocacy and research, to be presented at a gala dinner on Monday evening.

VADCON26 is co-convened by Go Gentle Australia and VADANZ, the peak body for VAD professionals, and is hosted by health communicator Dr Andrew Rochford.

Event details

What: Voluntary Assisted Dying Conference (VADCON26)When: Monday 19 – Tuesday 20 October 2026Where: Carson Conference Centre, 535 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne VIC 3000Program: https://www.vadcon.com.au/program

 

This press release has also been published on VRITIMES