SA Health has released the fifth quarterly report covering January to March, 2024
During the quarter
- 67 VAD Permits were issued, which means, providing the person retains decision making capacity, pharmacists are now able to deliver the VAD substance (if requested)
- the average time from first request to issuing of the VAD Permit was 24 days, with 93% of people receiving a self administration permit
- 57 people with a VAD Permit died using the VAD substance
- 40 people died through self administration (70%), 13 died without using the VAD substance (23%), and 4 people (7%) used practitioner administration.
- there were 74 VAD trained doctors in SA by the end of the quarter, the majority being GPs
- 81% of people had cancer
- 81% were receiving palliative care
- 54% were men
One difference which is emerging is the number of people using VAD in a public hospital. VAD Liaison staff are available in each public hospital in SA to support a person who makes a request for VAD. (See graph above)
Where they die
- 22 people died in a private residence (39%)
- 25 people died in a public hospital (44%)
- 6 people died in residential aged care
- 3 people died in a hospice or pall care unit.
