Victoria scraps ‘gag clause’ banning doctors from raising voluntary assisted dying with patients

<p>Exclusive: Review found some of the safeguards of state’s once groundbreaking laws have impeded access to end-of-life choices</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/feb/20/australia-news-live-richard-marles-defence-china-png-pacific-election-cost-of-living-anthony-albanese-peter-dutton-nsw-vic-qld-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></li><li>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></li></ul><p>For Nick Carr, one of the hardest things to witness as a doctor is terminally ill patients in unbearable pain and knowing there is an option to end their suffering – but not being able to speak of it.</p><p>“There’s been times where I’ve been sitting there, having to sit on my hands, having to shut my mouth because I want to say to them, ‘Do you know there is the option of voluntary assisted dying?’ and I can’t,” Carr says.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=copyembed">Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email</a></strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/20/victoria-scraps-gag-clause-banning-doctors-from-raising-voluntary-assisted-dying-with-patients">Continue reading...</a>